The Metabolism of Steroid Hormones: Ralph I. Dorfman
Year: 2003
Type: article
Abstract: Conversion by the Human of the Testis Hormone, Testosterone, into the Urinary Androgen, Androsterone(Dorfman, R. I., Cook, J. W., and Hamilton, J. B. (1939)J. Biol. Chem.130, 285–295) Ralph I. Dorfman (1911–1985), who was a native of Chicago, received his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois and his Ph.D. degree in physiological chemistry from the University of Chicago. He taught at Louisiana State University, Yale University, and Western Reserve University before joining the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in 1951 as Associate Director and later became Co-director. During his 13 years at the Worcester Foundation, it became an international center for bioassays and the study of the chemistry, biochemistry, and biology of steroid hormones, which were Dorfman's research interests. 1All of the biographical information for this Introduction was kindly provided by Prof. Daria Mochly Rosen, Dept. of Molecular Pharmacology, Stanford University.1All of the biographical information for this Introduction was kindly provided by Prof. Daria Mochly Rosen, Dept. of Molecular Pharmacology, Stanford University. In 1950, Dorfman was made a consultant to the Syntex Corporation and in 1964 joined the company full time becoming president of Syntex Research. At Syntex, he led the growth of steroid hormone research and was a pioneer in the development of the first oral contraceptive. He served also as Consulting Professor of Pharmacology at Stanford University, and after his death in 1985, the pharmacology department established the Ralph I. Dorfman Memorial Lectureship in his honor. During his research career, Dorfman focused on the metabolism and mechanism of action of the steroid hormones and their role in reproductive physiology, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis. He introduced the concept of anti-estrogens and anti-androgens to the field of reproductive biology. The paper selected as a JBC Classic is Dorfman's analysis of the metabolism of testosterone in humans. Although testosterone was recognized as a product of the testis, there were other compounds in urine that had androgenic activity and were structurally related to testosterone but of unknown origin. The work reported in this JBC Classic is classic in design. Testosterone was administered to males who had been diagnosed with insufficient testicular secretion. Urine was collected, analyzed for products of testosterone metabolism, and tested for androgenic activity using effects on the comb of day-old chickens as a bioassay. Compounds in the urine were fractioned by standard chemical techniques, crystallized, and characterized structurally. Androsterone was identified as the major metabolite of testosterone in human urine. Dorfman received many honors for his research, including election to the National Academy of Sciences in 1978. His younger brother, Albert Dorfman, who studied the biosynthesis of bacterial and connective tissue polysaccharides, was also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and is the author of an upcoming JBC Classic.
Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,430
OpenAlex ID: W1486282334