cytochrome P450 family 39, subfamily A, polypeptide 1
Cytochrome P450 39A1 (CYP39A1) is also called 24-hydroxycholesterol 7-alpha-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.14.26) or oxysterol 7-alpha-hydroxylase. It is involved in the metabolism of bile acids and has a preference for 24-hydroxycholesterol, converting it into the 7-alpha-hydroxylated product. It may play a role in the alternative bile acid synthesis pathway in the liver. CYP39A1 belongs to the large cytochrome P450 (P450, CYP) superfamily of heme-containing proteins that catalyze a variety of oxidative reactions of a large number of structurally different endogenous and exogenous compounds in organisms from all major domains of life. CYPs bind their diverse ligands in a buried, hydrophobic active site, which is accessed through a substrate access channel formed by two flexible helices and their connecting loop.