Inventors:
James Mohler - Buffalo NY, US
Mark Titus - Chapel Hill NC, US
Olga Kozyreva - Chapel Hill NC, US
O. Ford - Wake Forest NC, US
Elsbieta Kawinski - Orchard Park NY, US
Yun Li - Orchard Park NY, US
International Classification:
C12Q 1/68, G01N 33/574, C12N 9/02, C12N 15/861
US Classification:
435006000, 435007230, 435189000, 435456000, 435183000
Abstract:
The invention provides an isolated, novel steroid 5α-reductase enzyme termed SRD5AIII. The protein has an estimated molecular weight of 37 kDa and is capable of converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone at a pH of about 7.0. Also provided is a method for identifying inhibitors of SRD5AIII by contacting SRD5AIII with a test compound and measuring the activity of the enzyme. A reduced activity relative to a control indicates that the test compound is an inhibitor of SRD5AIII. A method is also provided for detecting androgen stimulated prostate cancer or recurrent prostate cancer in an individual. The method comprises obtaining a prostate biopsy from an individual and determining the level of expression of SRD5AIII gene or protein relative to a normal control. An increased expression of SRD5AIII relative to the control is indicative of androgen stimulated prostate cancer or recurrent prostate cancer.