17-Beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 8 (HSD17b8)

HKE6 possesses remarkable amino acid sequence conservation with several bacterial proteins having oxidoreductase activity. HKE6 also shows significant homology with the 2 unique functional domains containing the nucleotide cofactor-binding site and the consensus motif characteristic of the members of the superfamily of short-chain alcohol dehydrogenases such as human and rat steroid and prostaglandin dehydrogenases. mouse Ke6 is a 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and can regulate the concentration of biologically active estrogens and androgens. The Ke6 enzyme is preferentially an oxidative enzyme and inactivates estradiol, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone. However, the enzyme has some reductive activity and can synthesize estradiol from estrone.