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Background  Metabolic activities of microorganisms to modify the chemical structures of organic compounds became an effective tool for the production of high-valued steroidal drugs or their precursors. Currently research efforts in production of steroids of pharmaceutical interest are focused on either optimization of existing processes or identification of novel potentially useful bioconversions. Previous studies demonstrated that  P. lanosocoeruleum  KCH 3012 metabolizes androstanes to the corresponding lactones with high yield. In order to explore more thoroughly the factors determining steroid metabolism by this organism, the current study was initiated to delineate the specificity of this fungus with respect to the cleavage of steroid side chain of progesterone and pregnenolone The effect of substituents at C-16 in 16-dehydropregnenolone, 16α,17α-epoxy-pregnenolone and 16α-methoxy-pregnenolone on the pattern of metabolic processing of these steroids was also investigated.    Results and discussion  All of the analogues tested (except the last of the listed) in multi-step transformations underwent the Baeyer–Villiger oxidation to their δ- d -lactones. The activity of 3β-HSD was a factor affecting the composition of the product mixtures. 16α,17α-epoxy-pregnenolone underwent a rare epoxide opening with retention stereochemistry to give four 16α-hydroxy-lactones. Apart from oxidative transformations, a reductive pathway was revealed with the unique hydrogenation of 5-ene double bond leading to the formation of 3β,16α-dihydroxy-17a-oxa- d -homo-5α-androstan-17-one. 16α-Methoxy-pregnenolone was transformed to the 20( R )-alcohol with no further conversion.    Conclusions  This work clearly demonstrated that  P. lanosocoeruleum  KCH 3012 has great multi-functional catalytic properties towards the pregnane-type steroids. Studies have highlighted that a slight modification of the  d -ring of substrates may control metabolic fate either into the lactonization or reductive and oxidative pathways. Possibility of epoxide opening by enzymes from this microorganism affords a unique opportunity for generation of novel bioactive steroids.    Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-018-0948-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Metabolic fate of pregnene-based steroids in the lactonization pathway of multifunctional strain Penicillium lanosocoeruleum