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. 2021 Oct 6;13(19):5011. doi: 10.3390/cancers13195011

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Ovarian steroidogenesis. During a female reproductive age, the thecal and granulosa cells surrounding the developing ovarian follicle and the corpus luteum synthesize progestagens, androgens and estrogens; the Δ5 pathway converts pregnenolone to 17-α-pregnenolone, which subsequently gives rise to androgens and estrogens, and is the preferred pathway in thecal cells. The Δ4 pathway converts pregnenolone to progesterone, and is the main pathway in the granulosa lutein cells of the corpus luteum; however, estrogen synthesis also occurs. In OC tissue, local estrogen synthesis might take place from circulating androgen (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione) (left green box) and estrogen precursors (estrone sulfate, estrone) (right green box) via the aromatase and sulfatase pathway, respectively. CYB5A, cytochrome b5 type A; CYP11A1, cytochrome P450 cholesterol side chain cleavage; CYP17A1, cytochrome P450 17A1; CYP19A1, cytochrome P450 19A1 (aromatase); HSD3B2, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ4/5 isomerase type 2; HSD17B1, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1; HSD17B5, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 5; OH, hydroxy; STS, sulfatase. Parts of the figure were drawn using ACD/ChemSketch, version 2021.1.1, Advanced Chemistry Development, Inc., Toronto, On, Canada, www.acdlabs.com, accessed on 5 May 2021.