Function
5α-reductases convert testosterone, the male sex hormone, into the more potent dihydrotestosterone:
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Testosterone.
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Dihydrotestosterone
Note the major difference — the Δ4,5 double-bond on the A (leftmost) ring. (The other differences between the diagrams are unrelated to chemical structure.)
These enzymes also participate in the creation of such neurosteroids as allopregnanolone and THDOC.
Read more about this topic: 5-alpha Reductase
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