Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42525491›Full record

ArticleBioscience reports2026

Functional characterization of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases in Asiatic toad reveals an efficient broad substrate specificity of Bg-3βHSD2.

Qian Meng, Yaoting Hu, Wenjie Chen, Chuanguang Xiao, Li Yang, Rufeng Wang, Beibei Zhang, Shujuan Zhao, Zhengtao Wang

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Bioscience reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Qian Meng *State Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Yaoting Hu *State Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Wenjie Chen *State Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Chuanguang XiaoState Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Li YangState Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Rufeng WangState Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Beibei ZhangState Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Shujuan ZhaoState Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2269-925X
Zhengtao WangState Key Laboratory of Discovery and Utilization of Functional Components in Traditional Chinese Medicine, The SATCM Key Laboratory for New Resources & Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine, The MOE Key Laboratory for Standardization of Chinese Medicines and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Compound Chinese Medicines, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.

Funding

Shanghai Science and Technology Development Foundation (Shanghai Science and Technology Foundation) YDZX20223100001004
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3βHSDs) are key enzymes in steroid metabolism, catalyzing C3 oxidation-reduction and Δ5→Δ4 isomerization reactions that govern metabolic flux across multiple steroidogenic pathways. However, the functional diversity of 3βHSDs involved in bufadienolide metabolism in amphibians remains poorly explored. Here, we systematically characterized the 3βHSD gene family in the Asian toad (Bufo bufo gargarizans) using integrated transcriptomic, biochemical, and metabolomic analyses. Seven Bg-3βHSD genes were identified from multi-tissue transcriptomes generated under control and Pb2+ exposure conditions, and six were heterologously expressed for functional evaluation. In vitro assays revealed pronounced functional divergence among Bg-3βHSD isoforms. Bg-3βHSD1 primarily catalyzed bidirectional C3 redox reactions of C21 steroids and bile acid-related substrates, consistent with canonical steroidogenic roles. In contrast, Bg-3βHSD2 enzyme exhibited broad substrate specificity and high catalytic efficiency toward hormones, bile acids, and bufadienolides. In addition to canonical C3 redox reactions and Δ5→Δ4 isomerization, Bg-3βHSD2 also displayed additional oxidation activity at the C17 position for several steroid substrates. A third homolog, Bg-HSD3B7 (GenBank accession no. XM 044303756.1), selectively converted 7α-hydroxylated sterols, suggesting a potential role in classical bile acid metabolism. Integration of tissue-specific expression profiles with bufadienolide distribution patterns suggests that Bg-3βHSD2 may contribute to connecting classical steroid metabolism with bufadienolide biosynthesis in adrenal tissue. Together, the present study identifies Bg-3βHSD2 as an efficient and versatile steroid-transforming enzyme, expands our knowledge of functional diversity within the amphibian 3βHSD family, and provides insights into the enzymatic basis of steroid and bufadienolide metabolism in B. bufo gargarizans.

Indexed as

3-Hydroxysteroid DehydrogenasesAmphibian ProteinsBufo bufoAnimalsBufanolidesOxidation-ReductionPhylogenySteroidsSubstrate Specificity3-Hydroxysteroid DehydrogenasesAmphibian ProteinsbufadienolideBufanolidesSteroids3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenaseamphibian steroid biosynthesisbufadienolidesBufo bufo gargarizansenzyme functional diversitysteroid metabolism

Identifiers

PMID42525491
PMCPMC13451435

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.