Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1980 Oct;40(4):803–808. doi: 10.1128/aem.40.4.803-808.1980

Isolation and characterization of fecal bacteria capable of 16 alpha-dehydroxylating corticoids.

V D Bokkenheuser, J Winter, S O'Rourke, A E Ritchie
PMCID: PMC291664  PMID: 7425626

Abstract

For more than a decade it has been known that the fecal flora of humans and rats includes organisms capable of 16 alpha-dehydroxylating corticoids, but their identity has remained unknown. To isolate these organisms, Mueller-Hinton agar plates were seeded with fresh feces from Proteus-free rats and incubated anaerobically. On an average, 1 of every 35 colonies consisted of organisms synthesizing 16 alpha-dehydroxylase. Isolation of the individual colonies yielded two obligate anerobes, strains 144 and 146, which elaborated the enzyme. The steroid transformation could be attained by the microbial culture alone in prereduced media or in aerobic media in the presence of Escherichia coli. Although both strains were phenotypically similar to Eubacterium lentum, they differed between themselves in their enzymatic equipment.

Full text

PDF
803

Images in this article

806Image
on p.806

Selected References

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

  1. ASHMORE J., ELLIOTT W. H., DOISY E. A., Jr, DOISY E. A. Excretion of the metabolites of testosterone-4-C14 in the rat. J Biol Chem. 1953 Feb;200(2):661–668. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BOCKLAGE B. C., DOISY E. A., Jr, ELLIOT W. H., DOISY E. A. Absorption and metabolism of cortisone-4-C14 acetate. J Biol Chem. 1955 Feb;212(2):935–939. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Björkhem I., Eriksson H., Gustafsson J. A. Microbial formation of 17-alpha-C21 steroids. Stereochemistry of saturation of the delta-16-double bond. Eur J Biochem. 1971 Jun 11;20(3):340–343. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1971.tb01399.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. 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]
  5. 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]
  6. 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]
  7. Bokkenheuser V. D., Winter J., Finegold S. M., Sutter V. L., Ritchie A. E., Moore W. E., Holdeman L. V. New markers for Eubacterium lentum. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 May;37(5):1001–1006. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.5.1001-1006.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. CALVIN H. I., LIEBERMAN S. Studies on the metabolism of 16alpha-hydroxyprogesterone in humans; conversion to urinary 17-isopregnanolone. Biochemistry. 1962 Jul;1:639–645. doi: 10.1021/bi00910a016. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Eriksson H., Gustafsson J. A. Excretion of steroid hormones in adults. Steroids in faeces from adults. Eur J Biochem. 1971 Jan 1;18(1):146–150. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1971.tb01225.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Eriksson H., Gustafsson J. A., Sjövall J. Steroids in germfree and conventional rats. 4. Identification and bacterial formation of 17 alpha-pregnane derivatives. Eur J Biochem. 1968 Nov;6(2):219–226. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1968.tb00441.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Feighner S. D., Bokkenheuser V. D., Winter J., Hylemon P. B. Characterization of a C21 neutral steroid hormone transforming enzyme, 21-dehydroxylase, in crude cell extracts of Eubacterium lentum. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1979 Jul 27;574(1):154–163. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(79)90094-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gustafsson B. E., Gustafsson J. A., Sjövall J. Steroids in germfree and conventional rats. 2. Identification of 3 alpha-,16 alpha-dihydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one and related compounds in faeces from germfree rats. Eur J Biochem. 1968 May;4(4):568–573. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Laatikainen T. Identification of C19O3 steroids in the mono- and disulfate fractions of human bile. Steroids. 1970 Jan;15(1):139–150. doi: 10.1016/s0039-128x(70)80010-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Laatikainen T., Vihko R. Identification of C19O2 and C21O2 steroids in the glucuronide fraction of human bile. Eur J Biochem. 1969 Aug;10(1):165–171. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1969.tb00669.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. 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]
  16. SHEN N. H. C., ELLIOTT W. H., DOISY E. A., Jr, DOISY E. A. The excretion of metabolites of progesterone-21-C14 after intragastric administration to rats. J Biol Chem. 1954 May;208(1):133–137. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. 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]
  18. Taylor W. The excretion of steroid hormone metabolites in bile and feces. Vitam Horm. 1971;29:201–285. doi: 10.1016/s0083-6729(08)60050-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Winter J., Bokkenheuser V. D. 21-dehydroxylation of corticoids by anaerobic bacteria isolated from human fecal flora. J Steroid Biochem. 1978 May;9(5):379–384. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(78)90604-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Winter J., Bokkenheuser V. D., Ponticorvo L. Bacterial metabolism of corticoids with particular reference to the 21-dehydroxylation. J Biol Chem. 1979 Apr 25;254(8):2626–2629. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES