A cytochrome P450 monooxygenase that catalyzes the side-chain hydroxylation and cleavage of cholesterol to pregnenolone, the precursor of most steroid hormones (PubMed:21636783). Catalyzes three sequential oxidation reactions of cholesterol, namely the hydroxylation at C22 followed with the hydroxylation at C20 to yield 20R,22R-hydroxycholesterol that is further cleaved between C20 and C22 to yield the C21-steroid pregnenolone and 4-methylpentanal (PubMed:21636783). Mechanistically, uses molecul

Mitochondrion inner membrane

Adrenal insufficiency, congenital, with 46,XY sex reversal

A rare disorder that can present as acute adrenal insufficiency in infancy or childhood. ACTH and plasma renin activity are elevated and adrenal steroids are inappropriately low or absent; the 46,XY patients have female external genitalia, sometimes with clitoromegaly. The phenotypic spectrum ranges from prematurity, complete underandrogenization, and severe early-onset adrenal failure to term birth with clitoromegaly and later-onset adrenal failure. Patients with congenital adrenal insufficiency do not manifest the massive adrenal enlargement typical of congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia.