CYP11A1
cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily A member 1
Theoretical — per Powers
Gene summary
A protein-coding gene on chromosome 15 (steroid hormone synthesis). Encodes a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes. The cytochrome P450 proteins are monooxygenases which catalyze many reactions involved in drug metabolism and synthesis of cholesterol, steroids and other lipids.
Source: NCBI Gene, accessed 2026-10-07.
Protein reference (UniProt)
- Protein
Cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, mitochondrial
- Function
A cytochrome P450 monooxygenase that catalyzes the side-chain hydroxylation and cleavage of cholesterol to pregnenolone, the precursor of most steroid hormones. 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. Mechanistically, uses molecular oxygen inserting one oxygen atom into a substrate and reducing the second into a water molecule. Two electrons are provided by NADPH via a two-protein mitochondrial transfer system comprising flavoprotein FDXR (adrenodoxin/ferredoxin reductase) and nonheme iron-sulfur protein FDX1 or FDX2 (adrenodoxin/ferredoxin).
- Pathway
Lipid metabolism; C21-steroid hormone metabolism. Steroid metabolism; cholesterol metabolism.
- Subcellular location
Mitochondrion inner membrane.
- Associated conditions
Adrenal insufficiency, congenital, with 46,XY sex reversal (AICSR).
Source: UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot P05108, release 2026_03, licensed CC BY 4.0. This is the protein’s normal biology, not evidence about post-drug syndromes; associated conditions are inherited disorders of the gene, not PFS, PSSD or PRSD.
Why its pathway is in the library
Steroid-synthesis enzymes sit directly on the pathways perturbed by 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors and SSRIs; inherited variation here is a candidate susceptibility factor for persistent post-drug phenotypes.
Written for the whole steroid synthesis family, not for CYP11A1 specifically.
Powers’ note (his unpublished theorizing)
Named by Powers in adjacent (non-PFS) work (unpublished): a patient's pathogenic CYP11A1 frameshift (rs757299093) presented as an alternative route to the same adrenal phenotype.
Narrative library record
Function
Mitochondrial P450 (P450scc, cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme) catalyzing the first, rate-limiting step of steroidogenesis - three sequential reactions converting cholesterol to pregnenolone; severe loss disrupts all adrenal and gonadal steroid synthesis.
Corpus relevance
Adjacent gene (not PFS-specific): a patient edit Powers discussed on his MTF adrenal post carried a CYP11A1 frameshift (DEL chr15:74343131 T A->T, heterozygous, rs757299093, allele frequency about 1 in 15,000), which he described as ClinVar-pathogenic for CYP11A1-related congenital adrenal insufficiency. He framed it as a non-21-hydroxylase route to the same adrenal phenotype - anything disrupting adrenal/cortisol synthesis can produce similar output. Variant details are as Powers reported; verify in ClinVar/dbSNP before research use. Attribution: theoretical-per-Powers (adjacent).
Powers’ claims naming CYP11A1
- Powers gene claim
CYP11A1 — frameshift DEL chr15:74343131 T A->T, heterozygous, rs757299093, allele frequency 1 in 15,000, ClinVar pathogenic (CYP11A1-related condition / congenital adrenal insufficiency with 46,XY sex reversal or 46,XY DSD-adrenal insufficiency)
Confidence: direct (adjacent)
A patient matching the adrenal phenotype carried this CYP11A1 frameshift (found via Nebula). Powers presented it as a non-21-hydroxylase route to the same output — anything disrupting adrenal/cortisol synthesis can produce similar effects. Context: trans HRT…
CYP11A1PGL-CYP11A1edit, date unverifiedPFS
Mentioned in 2 corpus records
- Gene recordPowers’ theory
Adrenal endoplasmic-reticulum P450 (steroid 21-hydroxylase) required for cortisol and aldosterone synthesis, converting progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone toward their 21-hydroxylated products; mutations are the cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
CYP11A1CYP17A1CYP21A2CYP21A2PHSD3B2GENE-CYP21A2PFSCore corpus - Gene recordPowers’ theory
CYP21A2P — cytochrome P450 family 21 subfamily A member 2, pseudogene (HGNC: CYP21A1P)
6p21.3 (approx. 30 kb from CYP21A2)
Nonfunctional pseudogene sharing about 98 percent exon sequence identity with CYP21A2, carrying deteriorating mutations (frameshifts, premature stop codons); it acts as the reservoir for gene-conversion events that create most pathogenic CYP21A2 alleles.
CYP11A1CYP21A2CYP21A2PGENE-CYP21A2PPFSCore corpus
Also in steroid hormone synthesis
All 38 genes- SRD5A2
steroid 5 alpha-reductase 2
chr 2· Steroid synthesis· 19 records - SRD5A1Powers
steroid 5 alpha-reductase 1
chr 5· Steroid synthesis· 17 records - AKR1C2Powers
aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C2
chr 10· Steroid synthesis· 12 records - AKR1C3Powers
aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3
chr 10· Steroid synthesis· 9 records - CYP17A1
cytochrome P450 family 17 subfamily A member 1
chr 10· Steroid synthesis· 9 records - AKR1C4Powers
aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C4
chr 10· Steroid synthesis· 8 records - AKR1C1Powers
aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1
chr 10· Steroid synthesis· 7 records - HSD3B2
hydroxy-delta-5-steroid dehydrogenase, 3 beta- and steroid delta-isomerase 2
chr 1· Steroid synthesis· 7 records
Browse by family on the gene families page.