Reduction of bilirubin ditaurate by the intestinal bacterium Clostridium perfringens

Acta Biochim Pol. 2012;59(2):289-92. Epub 2012 Apr 27.

Abstract

Bilirubin is degraded in the human gut by microflora into urobilinoids. In our study we investigated whether the bilirubin-reducing strain of Clostridium perfringens can reduce bilirubin ditaurate (BDT), a bile pigment of some lower vertebrates, without hydrolysis of the taurine moiety. C. perfringes was incubated under anaerobic conditions with BDT; reduction products were quantified by spectrophotometry and separated by TLC. Based on Rf values of BDT reduction products and synthetic urobilinogen ditaurate, three novel taurine-conjugated urobilinoids were identified. It is likely that bilirubin-reducing enzyme(s) serve for the effective disposal of electrons produced by fermentolytic processes in these anaerobic bacteria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bilirubin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Bilirubin / isolation & purification
  • Bilirubin / metabolism
  • Chromatography, Thin Layer
  • Clostridium perfringens / isolation & purification
  • Clostridium perfringens / metabolism*
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Hydrolysis
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Intestines / microbiology
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Taurine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Taurine / isolation & purification
  • Taurine / metabolism
  • Urobilinogen

Substances

  • Urobilinogen
  • Taurine
  • bilirubin ditaurine
  • Bilirubin