Genetic diversity of b-glucuronidase activity among 14 strains of the dominant human gut anaerobe Ruminococcus gnavus
Bacterial beta-glucuronidase activity in the gut increases the enterohepatic circulation of toxic compounds and plays a major role in the etiology of colon cancer. Previously, we had found that the gus gene, which codes for beta-glucuronidase in a dominant anaerobic species of the gut microbiota, Ruminococcus gnavus strain E1, is transcribed as part of an operon that includes three ORFs that code for beta-glucoside permeases of the phosphotransferase systems. This genetic organization had never been described. We have now compared beta-glucuronidase activity and the genetic environment of the gus gene in 14 strains of Ruminococcus gnavus.We found that five out of the seven glucuronidase-positive R. gnavus strains possessed another glucuronidase gene different from the gusA operon of R. gnavus E1. This dominant commensal intestinal species appears to have a high degree of genetic diversity in the genes that control beta-glucuronidase activity.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociedade Brasileira de Genética
2006
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| Online Access: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1415-47572006000200026 |
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