A bile salt hydrolase gene of Lactobacillus plantarum BBE7 with high cholesterol-removing activity

Sixteen Lactobacillus strains were screened using a plate agar containing glycodeoxycholic acid or taurodeoxycholic acid and quantitative BSH assay method, along with cholesterol-removing properties in vitro. Most BSH-positive strains tested were more efficient in hydrolyzing glycoconjugated bile salts than tauroconjugated bile salts. Among these strains, Lactobacillus plantarum isolate BBE7 had a relatively high BSH activity toward both bile salts and a higher cholesterol-removing activity (about 72.8?%) from cholesterol (100???g/mL)-containing MRS culture, as compared with other tested strains. The bsh gene of this strain composed of about 43?kDa protein was cloned, sequenced, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The bsh gene contained a single ORF of 975 nucleotides flanked by a methionine start codon and translational termination codon and encoded a 324-amino-acid protein.     

Bile salt deconjugation ability,bile salt hydrolase activity and cholesterol co-precipitation ability of lactobacilli strains

Eleven strains of lactobacilli were screened for their bile salt deconjugation ability, bile salt hydrolase activity (BSH) and co-precipitation of cholesterol with deconjugated bile. Bile salt deconjugation as determined by the release of cholic acid showed that more cholic acid was liberated from the deconjugation of sodium glycocholate than sodium taurocholate, and Lactobacillus acidophilus strains had higher deconjugation ability than L. casei strains. BSH activity, as quantified by the amount of taurine or glycine liberated from conjugated bile salts, indicated that substrate specificity was more towards glycine-conjugated bile compared to taurine-conjugated bile. Co-precipitation of cholesterol with cholic acid was observed from deconjugation of both conjugated bile, with more cholesterol being precipitated upon deconjugation of sodium glycocholate than upon that of sodium taurocholate. Cholesterol co-precipitation with deconjugated bile increased with decreasing pH. L. acidophilus ATCC 33200, 4356 and 4962 and L. casei ASCC 1521 showed highest deconjugation ability and BSH activity towards bile mixtures that resemble the human bile, and may be promising candidates to exert beneficial bile deconjugation activity in vivo.     

具有胆盐水解酶活性乳酸菌的筛选及影响其活性因素分析

具有胆盐水解酶活性的乳酸菌有潜在的降低血液胆固醇的作用。对分离自酸马奶的10株乳杆菌的胆盐水解酶活性进行了定性及定量分析,在此基础上对影响胆盐水解酶的一些因素进行了研究。结果表明,3株乳杆菌具有胆盐水解酶活性,其中以MG13-3为最高,其次为XB4-1及MG16-3;当pH值为6时,超声波破碎时间在12～15min之间,培养基中加入巯基乙酸钠并在厌氧条件下培养时,3株乳杆菌均体现出较高的胆盐水解酶活性。     

Bile salt deconjugation and BSH activity of five bifidobacterial strains and their cholesterol co-precipitating properties

Five strains of bifidobacteria were screened for their bile salt deconjugation ability, bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity and co-precipitation of cholesterol with deconjugated bile. Bile salt deconjugation was determined by the release of cholic acid. All strains exhibited deconjugation of both sodium glycocholate and sodium taurocholate. More cholic acid was liberated from the deconjugation of sodium glycocholate than sodium taurocholate. BSH activity was quantified by determining the amount of glycine or taurine liberated from conjugated bile salts by bifidobacteria strains. There was higher substrate specificity for glycine-conjugated bile compared to taurine-conjugated bile. Co-precipitation of cholesterol with cholic acid was observed from deconjugation of both sodium glycocholate and sodium taurocholate, and by all bifidobacteria strains studied. More cholesterol was precipitated with cholic acid when sodium glycocholate was used compared to sodium taurocholate. Increased cholesterol co-precipitation with deconjugated bile was observed with decreasing pH levels. Bifidobacterium infantis 17930 showed highest deconjugation ability and BSH activity towards bile mixtures that resemble the human bile, and may be a promising candidate to exert beneficial bile deconjugation activity in vivo.     

Short communication: Chemical structure,concentration, and pH are key factors influencing antimicrobial activity of conjugated bile acids against lactobacilli

Effects of chemical structure, concentration, and pH on antimicrobial activity of conjugated bile acids were investigated in 4 strains of lactobacilli. Considerable differences were observed in the antimicrobial activity between the 6 human conjugated bile acids, including glycocholic acid, taurocholic acid, glycodeoxycholic acid, taurodeoxycholic acid, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, and taurochenodeoxycholic acid. Glycodeoxycholic acid and glycochenodeoxycholic acid generally showed significantly higher antimicrobial activity against the lactobacilli, but glycocholic acid and taurocholic acid exhibited the significantly lower antimicrobial activity. Glycochenodeoxycholic acid was selected for further analysis, and the results showed its antimicrobial activity was concentration-dependent, and there was a significantly negative linear correlation (R² > 0.98) between bile-antimicrobial index and logarithmic concentration of the bile acid for each strain of lactobacilli. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity of glycochenodeoxycholic acid was also observed to be pH-dependent, and it was significantly enhanced with the decreasing pH, with the result that all the strains of lactobacilli were unable to grow at pH 5.0. In conclusion, chemical structure, concentration, and pH are key factors influencing antimicrobial activity of conjugated bile acids against lactobacilli. This study provides theoretical guidance and technology support for developing a scientific method for evaluating the bile tolerance ability of potentially probiotic strains of lactobacilli.     

Short communication: Improving the activity of bile salt hydrolases in Lactobacillus casei based on in silico molecular docking and heterologous expression

Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) plays an essential role in the cholesterol-removing effect of lactic acid bacteria, which hydrolyze conjugated bile salts to amino acid and deconjugated bile salts. However, Lactobacillus casei lacks the bsh gene, which may make it highly sensitive to bile salt stress. We wanted to improve the BSH activity of L. casei for various food-industry applications (e.g., milk fermentation). Plate assay testing indicated that Lactobacillus plantarum AR113 has the highest BSH activity. We cloned and sequenced 4 bsh genes from the genome of L. plantarum AR113. Structure modeling and molecular docking of BSH indicated that BSH1 and BSH3 could react efficiently with bile salts, so we selected BSH1 and BSH3 for heterologous expression in L. casei. Compared with single expression of BSH1 or BSH3, co-expression of both protein sequences showed the highest hydrolysis activity by HPLC analysis. Our results suggested that heterologous expression of BSH in L. casei can significantly improve host activity against bile salts, and in silico molecular docking could be an efficient method of rapid screening for BSH with high activity.     

Bile salt hydrolase activity of Enterococci isolated from food: screening and quantitative determination

One hundred seventeen enterococcal strains isolated from food (47 Enterococcus faecium, 48 Enterococcus faecalis, 16 Enterococcus durans, 2 Enterococcus gallinarum, 3 Enterococcus casseliflavus, and 1 Enterococcus malodoratus) were screened for bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity on de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe agar medium containing taurocholic acid and calcium chloride. The highest incidence of BSH-active strains was observed for E. faecalis (81%) followed by E. faecium (50%) and E. durans (44%). Isolates were grouped into four putative activity groups (no, low, medium, and high activity) based on the size of precipitation zones observed in the screening experiment. Our results showed that assumptions on BSH activity based on the size of bile precipitation zones in screening experiments did not correlate with actual activity as quantified by high-pressure liquid chromatography, but the screening assay is useful for assessing the presence or absence of BSH activity.     

Screening of bile resistance and bile precipitation in lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria.

A modification of the ecometric method was developed for a rapid screening of bile resistance in lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. Validation of the MEM bile assay (modified ecometric method) was performed comparing the bile resistance index (RIbile) and the bile resistance ratio (R%). Most Bifidobacterium strains assayed were bile sensitive (83.3%), while only 62.1% of lactobacilli showed that behavior. Some bifidobacterial strains (55.6%) showed a crystalline precipitate when grown on solid medium supplemented with 0.5% ox bile. The crystalline structures produced by B. pseudolongum CIDCA 531 were isolated and analyzed by optical and scanning electron microscopy, thin-layer chromatography, melting point, and specific cholesterol reactions. Those studies confirmed the presence of cholesterol in these crystalline structures. On the other hand, none of the lactobacilli and streptococci studied had the ability to produce crystalline precipitates.     

Mechanisms of cholesterol removal by lactobacilli under conditions that mimic the human gastrointestinal tract

Five strains of lactobacilli were studied for their ability to remove cholesterol in vitro under conditions that mimic the human gastrointestinal tract. The highest assimilation of cholesterol was observed in media supplemented with oxgall and the lowest in the presence of taurocholic acid. Scanning electron micrographs showed that cholesterol was adhered to the cellular surface of lactobacilli cells. Resting and dead cells were able to remove cholesterol although in small amounts. Additionally, inhibition of cholesterol micelles formation was observed in the presence of bile salts. All strains were able to deconjugate bile salts, where higher deconjugation was observed in the presence of sodium glycocholate compared with other bile salts studied. All strains also exhibited bile salt hydrolase activity and most strains showed higher substrate specificity towards glycine-conjugated bile than towards taurine-conjugated bile. The results indicated that lactobacilli could remove cholesterol in vitro via various mechanisms, and may exert such hypocholesterolaemic effects in vivo.     

Purification and characterization of three different types of bile salt hydrolases from Bifidobacterium strains

Bile salt hydrolases were purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC 11863, Bifidobacterium infantis KL412, Bifidobacterium longum ATCC 15708, Bifidobacterium longum KL507, and Bifidobacterium longum KL515. Three different types (A, B, and C) of bile salt hydrolase (BSH) were revealed during the purification study, exhibiting the type-specific characteristics in their electrophoretic migration and elution profiles from anion exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatographic columns. The subunit molecular mass estimated by sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was around 35 kDa, and the native molecular mass in all five Bifidobacterium strains was estimated to be between 130 and 150 kDa by gel filtration chromatography, indicating that all BSH enzymes have tetrameric structure. From the isoelectric focusing, an isoelectric point value of 4.45 was obtained with BSH (type B) from B. bifidum ATCC 11863 and the other BSH (types A and C) showed the similar pI values around 4.65. N-Terminal amino acid sequencing for the proteins of types A and C revealed that 6 out of 20 amino acid residues were different, and highly conserved residues were identified in both N-terminal sequences of types A and C. All BSH enzymes from five strains hydrolyzed six major human bile salts, and they showed a better deconjugation rate on glycine-conjugated bile salts than on taurine-conjugated forms.     

耐酸耐胆盐益生乳酸菌的筛选与鉴定

为了筛选出人源性的耐酸、耐胆盐的益生菌,利用含胆盐(0.2%)的5种选择性培养基(TPY、BHI、MRS、SL、乳酸杆菌选择性琼脂培养基),以溴甲酚紫为酸性指示剂,从婴儿粪便中初步筛选出42株耐胆盐的乳酸菌。根据菌株在pH5.0,4.0,3.5的MRS液体培养基中培养时OD值的变化情况,筛选出3株具有较好酸耐受性的菌株。然后通过平板菌落计数方法测定筛选出的3株菌在pH 3.0条件下0~3h存活率的变化情况,筛选出对酸和胆盐耐受能力最强且最稳定的菌株经16SrDNA分子生物学鉴定为Lactobacillus plantarum。该菌能够作为潜在的益生菌菌株用于后期深入地挖掘其益生功能。     

Construction of R16F and D19L mutations in the loop I of bile salt hydrolase (BSH) enzyme from Lactobacillus plantarum B14 and structural and functional analysis of the mutant BSHs

Bile salt hydrolase (BSH), found commonly in intestinal species of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, catalyzes the hydrolysis of glycine or taurine-conjugated bile acids into the amino acids and free bile acids. Deconjugated bile acids potentially play an important role in the reduction of blood cholesterol level and formation of some gastrointestinal diseases such as cholestasis, gallstone formation, and colon cancer. Although the crystal and three-dimensional structures of BSH enzyme are known, the working mechanism of catalytic activity of such an important BSH enzyme is not known very well. Previous in silico analysis of multiple BSH has identified that Arginine-16 (R16) and Aspartate-19 (D19) were catalytically important residues in the active site of BSH. To confirm the function of these amino acids, in this study, BSH enzyme from Lactobacillus plantarum B14 strain was cloned into Escherichia coli and strictly conserved polar R16 and D19 amino acids of BSH enzyme were substituted for hydrophobic Phenylalanine-16 (F16) and Leucine-19 (L19) amino acids, respectively, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based site-directed mutagenesis. The effects of the mutations on catalytic activity and structure of the BSH enzymes were detected by ninhidrin assay and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis, respectively. Research results showed that although F16 mutation led to loss of enzyme activity completely, L19 mutation led to abolishment of the synthesis of BSH enzyme. These results indicated that R16 and D19 amino acids located in loop I of the BSH enzyme might be critical for catalytic activity and assembly of the BSH enzyme respectively.     

发酵鱼酱酸产GABA乳酸菌的分离筛选及发酵特性

从传统发酵鱼酱酸中筛选出产γ-氨基丁酸（γ-aminobutyric acid，GABA）的乳酸菌并分析其菌株发酵特性。通过薄层色谱法定性、Berthelot比色法定量获得产GABA菌株，并进行耐酸、耐胆盐、氨基酸脱羧酶活性、抑菌性、生长曲线及pH值、产酸速率等菌株发酵特性分析。结果表明：从分离自鱼酱酸不同发酵阶段的387 株乳酸菌中，获得15 株典型产GABA菌株，包括2 株食窦魏斯氏菌（Weissella cibaria）、1 株熊蜂魏斯氏菌（Weissella bombi）、11 株植物乳杆菌（Lactobacillus plantarum）和1 株戊糖乳杆菌（Lactobacillus pentosus）。15 株乳酸菌产GABA能力及发酵特性在主成分分析图上差异显著，其中食窦魏斯氏菌Y113产GABA量为0.239 mg/mL，高于其他菌株；植物乳杆菌Y279和Y64展现出较好的耐酸性、耐胆盐性、抑菌性、无氨基酸脱羧酶活性、生长速率及产酸速率快的特点。鉴于其优良的发酵特性、益生特性及产GABA能力，菌株Y279可作为鱼酱酸工业化、标准化生产的潜在优良菌株。     

RELATIVE SUITABILITY OF VARIOUS METHODS FOR DETERMINING FREE FATTY ACID (FFA) LEVELS IN FOODS

The relative suitability of analytical methods based on thin-layer chromatographic (TLC), titrimetric and colorimetric determination of free fatty acid (FFA) in foods and oils was determined. For quantitative measurements TLC method was found to be least suitable. For colored vegetable oils and lipids extracted from curried products, colorimetric and titrimetric method based on end-point detection by pH measurements are more precise and reproducible than conventional titrimetric procedure based on phenolpthalein indicator.     

Improved screening procedure for biogenic amine production by lactic acid bacteria

An improved screening plate method for the detection of amino acid decarboxylase-positive microorganisms (especially lactic acid bacteria) was developed. The suitability and detection level of the designed medium were quantitatively evaluated by confirmation of amine-forming capacity using an HPLC procedure. The potential to produce the biogenic amines (BA) tyramine, histamine, putrescine, and cadaverine, was investigated in a wide number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of different origin, including starter cultures, protective cultures, type strains and strains isolated from different food products. Also, several strains of Enterobacteriaceae were examined. Modifications to previously described methods included lowering glucose and sodium chloride concentrations, and increasing the buffer effect with calcium carbonate and potassium phosphate. In addition, pyridoxal-5-phosphate was included as a codecarboxylase factor for its enhancing effect on the amino acid decarboxylase activity. The screening plate method showed a good correlation with the chemical analysis and due to its simplicity it is presented as a suitable and sensitive method to investigate the capacity of biogenic amine production by LAB. Tyramine was the main amine formed by the LAB strains investigated. Enterococci, carnobacteria and some strains of lactobacilli, particularly of Lb. curvatus. Lb. brevis and Lb. buchneri, were the most intensive tyramine formers. Several strains of lactobacilli, Leuconostoc spp., Weissella spp. and pediococci did not show any potential to produce amines. Enterobacteriaceae were associated with cadaverine and putrescine formation. No significant histamine production could be detected for any of the strains tested.     

Screening of lactic acid bacteria for bile salt hydrolase activity

Bile salt hydrolysis is an important metabolic reaction in the bile salt metabolism of mammals. This reaction has a facilitating effect for bile salt excretion but can also be involved in various illnesses. In recent years interest has increased to use bile salt hydrolysis to influence the cholesterol metabolism of humans and farm animals. To understand the distribution and range of bile salt hydrolase activity in lactic acid bacteria, we screened more than 300 strains of the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and the species Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Streptococcus thermophilus. Results obtained for 273 strains showed that bile salt hydrolase activity is common in Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus but absent in L. lactis, Leu. mesenteroides, and S. thermophilus. Nearly all bifidobacteria species and strains have bile salt hydrolase activity, whereas this activity can only be found in selected species of lactobacilli. A strong correlation can be observed between the habitat of a genus or species and the presence of bile salt hydrolase activity. Most often bile salt hydrolase activity is found in strains that have been isolated from the intestines or from feces from mammals--an environment rich in conjugated and unconjugated bile acids. Strains and species from other habitats like milk or vegetables--environments from which bile salts are absent--do normally not have bile salt hydrolase activity. In two independent assays, we established that bile salt hydrolase activity in bifidobacteria is, in general, much higher than in lactobacilli.     

All 4 bile salt hydrolase proteins are responsible for the hydrolysis activity in Lactobacillus plantarum ST-III

In vertebrates, bile salt hydrolysis plays an essential role in fat metabolism. Bile salts are synthesized in the liver. And in the small intestine glycine and taurine are de-conjugated from bile salts by the enzyme bile salt hydrolase (BSH) from intestinal microbes. However, the mechanism of bile salt hydrolysis in Lactobacillus plantarum is still ambiguous. Four predicted bile salt hydrolase (bsh) genes from L. plantarum ST-III were cloned into Escherichia coli. The function of these genes was explored by overexpression. All 4 proteins that were studied showed activity against glycine- or taurine-conjugated bile salts. Substrate preference was also observed in BSH proteins, especially for the enzyme BSH1, which had high hydrolysis activity for glycodeoxycholic acid. These results suggest that all 4 bile salt hydrolases may be responsible for the bile salt hydrolysis activity in L. plantarum ST-III. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Hypercholesterolemia is considered one of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease. More interest has focused on intestinal microbes because of their role in the decrease of serum cholesterol. BSH proteins play an important role in the reduction of cholesterol. This paper adds to a better understanding of BSH proteins of intestinal microbes. It gives a great hint that probiotics can be used to solve hypercholesterolemia one day.     

4种胆盐水解酶在发酵乳杆菌AR497中的异源表达

为提高发酵乳杆菌耐胆盐能力,将植物乳杆菌AR113来源的4种BSH基因(BSH1、BSH2、BSH3和BSH4)转化至发酵乳杆菌AR497中进行表达。结果表明,植物乳杆菌来源的4种BSH同功酶异源表达可提高发酵乳杆菌的耐胆盐能力。在2.0mg/mL甘氨脱氧胆酸钠浓度下,表达BSH2的工程菌致死率最低,其他菌株生长被完全抑制;BSH酶活测定表明,BSH2表达菌株酶活最高,达57.74U/mL,比对照空质粒菌株提高了2.88倍。     

Homemade traditional cheeses for the isolation of probiotic Enterococcus faecium strains

One hundred twenty-two strains of Enterococcus faecium isolated from Tafí Cheese, a homemade traditional cheese of the highlands in the province of Tucumán, Argentina, were evaluated for their potential application as starter cultures in the manufacture of this traditional cheese. Eleven of the 122 strains showing limited delays in growth in oxgall were selected for the study of bile salts hydrolase activity (BSH), cholesterol reduction, antimicrobial activity, and virulence determinants. Nine strains were able to remove cholesterol in in vitro assays, a property that was closely related to the bile salt hydrolase activity. Only two strains produced active bacteriocins against Listeria strains although genetic evidence for the bacteriocin structural gene was found in six other enterococci strains. No virulence factors were detected in any of the 11 selected strains of enterococci.     

Antagonistic activities of lactobacilli against Helicobacter pylori growth and infection in human gastric epithelial cells

Lactobacilli have positive effects on bowel microflora and health in humans and animals. In this study, the antagonistic activities of Lactobacillus gasseri Chen, and L. plantarum 18 were assessed by agar plate diffusion assay and tests that determined the growth and urease activity of Helicobacter pylori cocultured with lactobacilli and the adherence of H. pylori to human gastric epithelial cells in the presence of lactobacilli. The results showed that the 2 Lactobacillus strains had significant anti-H.pylori activity, and this activity may be contributed by the cell-free supernatants (CFS) of lactobacilli and live Lactobacillus strains in vitro. The antagonistic activity of the CFS against H. pylori depended on the pH and the presence of metabolites, such as organic acids and proteases. Our results also indicated that 2 Lactobacillus strains could inhibit H. pylori adherence human gastric epithelial cells. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Helicobacter pylori causes chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer, and it infects about 50% of the world's population. Lactobacilli have been reported to have an inhibitory effect on H. pylori and can be used as probiotic to manufacture dairy products preventing H. pylori infection.