Skip to main content
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1979 May;37(5):1001–1006. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.5.1001-1006.1979

New markers for Eubacterium lentum.

V D Bokkenheuser, J Winter, S M Finegold, V L Sutter, A E Ritchie, W E Moore, L V Holdeman
PMCID: PMC243338  PMID: 314778

Abstract

Of 37 strains of Eubacterium lentum and phenotypically similar organisms, 26 (70%) synthesized a corticoid 21-dehydroxylase and/or a 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. It appeared that the corticoid 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was identical to the bile acid 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Steroid-metabolizing enzymes were found both in E. lentum and in phenotypically similar organisms. E. lentum is characterized by nitrate reduction and enhanced growth in the presence of arginine. Many phenotypically similar organisms possess either one or the other of the two markers. In contrast, using the steroid-metabolizing enzymes as markers, a "steroid-active" and a "steroid-inactive" group were established with minimal overlapping of metabolic characteristics. Synthesis of the steroid enzymes was positively correlated with production of gas from H2O2 and formation of H2S. A simple method for the detection of corticoid 21-dehydroxylase and 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, one or both of which were present in 92% of the steroid-active group, is described.

Full text

PDF
1003

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bokkenheuser V. D., Suzuki J. B., Polovsky S. B., Winter J., Kelly W. G. Metabolism of deoxycorticosterone by human fecal flora. Appl Microbiol. 1975 Jul;30(1):82–90. doi: 10.1128/am.30.1.82-90.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bokkenheuser V. D., Winter J., Dehazya P., Kelly W. G. Isolation and characterization of human fecal bacteria capable of 21-dehydroxylating corticoids. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 Nov;34(5):571–575. doi: 10.1128/aem.34.5.571-575.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bokkenheuser V. D., Winter J., Dehazya P., de Leon O., Kelly W. G. Formation and metabolism of tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone by human fecal flora. J Steroid Biochem. 1976 Oct;7(10):837–843. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(76)90187-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. MacDonald I. A., Jellett J. F., Mahony D. E., Holdeman L. V. Bile salt 3 alpha- and 12 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases from Eubacterium lentum and related organisms. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 May;37(5):992–1000. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.5.992-1000.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. MacDonald I. A., Mahony D. E., Jellet J. F., Meier C. E. NAD-dependent 3alpha- and 12alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities from Eubacterium lentum ATCC no. 25559. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1977 Dec 21;489(3):466–476. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(77)90167-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Macdonald I. A., Meier E. C., Mahony D. E., Costain G. A. 3alpha-, 7alpha- and 12alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities from Clostridium perfringens. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1976 Nov 19;450(2):142–153. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(76)90086-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Skålhegg B. A. Enzymatic determination of bile acids. The presence of a new enzyme, a 12alpha-hydroxysteroid: NAD-oxidoreductase in extracts from Pseudomonas testosteroni. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1974;9(6):555–557. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Sperry J. F., Wilkins T. D. Arginine, a growth-limiting factor for Eubacterium lentum. J Bacteriol. 1976 Aug;127(2):780–784. doi: 10.1128/jb.127.2.780-784.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES