Biotransformation activity of Rhodococci towards saturated sterines

This study describes the possibility of Rhodococcus erythropolis and R. ruber members to biotran-formation sterines with a saturated carbon skeleton like ба-cholestane and its 3p-hydroxy derivative 5а-cholestan-3p-ol. We selected strains that can transform 5а-cholestan-3p-ol to ба-cholestan-3p-one with 90-100% effectiveness. Using a thin-layer chromatography, we performed the qualitative analysis of ба-cholestane biotranformation products by rhodococci. In some extracts a compounds that Rf value do not coincide with ба-cholestane have been found.