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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 November; 55(11): 2954-2959

Formation of delta 2- and delta 3-cholenoic acids from bile acid 3-sulfates by a human intestinal Fusobacterium strain.

J Robben, G Janssen, R Merckx and H Eyssen

Rega Institute, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.

ABSTRACT

We isolated two strains of an unnamed Fusobacterium species from human intestinal microflora, which stereospecifically transformed bile acid 3-sulfates into C-3-unsubstituted, ring A-unsaturated bile acids. Both 3 alpha- and 3 beta-sulfates of 5 beta-bile acids were metabolized to delta 3-5 beta-cholenoic acids; 3 beta-sulfates of 5 alpha-bile acids were converted into a mixture of delta 2-5 alpha-bile acids and 3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-bile acids, whereas 3 alpha-sulfates of 5 alpha-bile acids were left intact. Unsulfated bile acids were not transformed into unsaturated derivatives. These strains differ from previously isolated intestinal bacteria, which desulfated bile acid sulfates without further transformation.

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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989 November; 55(11): 2954-2959