Steroid hormones modulate development, reproduction and communication in eukaryotes. The widespread occurrence and persistence of steroid hormones have attracted public attention due to their endocrine‐disrupting effects on both wildlife and human beings. Bacteria are responsible for mineralizing steroids from the biosphere. Aerobic degradation of steroid hormones relies on O₂ as a co‐substrate of oxygenases to activate and to cleave the recalcitrant steroidal core ring. To date, two oxygen‐dependent degradation pathways – the 9,10‐seco pathway for androgens and the 4,5‐seco pathways for oestrogens – have been characterized. Under anaerobic conditions, denitrifying bacteria adopt the 2,3‐seco pathway to degrade different steroid structures. Recent meta‐omics revealed that microorganisms able to degrade steroids are highly diverse and ubiquitous in different ecosystems. This review also summarizes culture‐independent approaches using the characteristic metabolites and catabolic genes to monitor steroid biodegradation in various ecosystems.

中文翻译：

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类固醇性激素的微生物降解：对环境和生态研究的影响。

类固醇激素调节真核生物的发育、繁殖和通讯。类固醇激素的广泛存在和持续存在因其对野生动物和人类的内分泌干扰作用而引起了公众的关注。细菌负责矿化生物圈中的类固醇。类固醇激素的有氧降解依赖于 O ₂作为加氧酶的共底物来激活和裂解顽固的类固醇核心环。迄今为止，两种氧依赖性降解途径——雄激素的 9,10- seco途径和雌激素的 4,5- seco途径——已经得到表征。在厌氧条件下，反硝化细菌采用2,3- seco途径降解不同的类固醇结构。最近的元组学表明，能够降解类固醇的微生物在不同的生态系统中高度多样化且普遍存在。本综述还总结了使用特征代谢物和分解代谢基因来监测各种生态系统中类固醇生物降解的独立于培养的方法。