| abstract |
6-fluoro-9 alpha -hydroxyandrost-4 ene-3,17-diones, including the novel 6 alpha -isomer, are prepared by microbial degradation of the 6-fluoro- DELTA <4>-3- keto derivatives of sterols using a mutant microorganism selected from Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Brevibacterium, Corynebacterium, Mycobacterium, Microbacterium, Nocardia, Protaminobacter, Serratia and Streptomyces, esp. Mycobacterium fortuitum NRRL B-8119. The products are of use in the synthesis of 6-fluoro- corticoids. |