In vitro and in vivo characterization of Clostridium scindens bile acid transformations

ABSTRACTThe human gut hosts trillions of microorganisms that exert a profound influence on human biology. Gut bacteria communicate with their host by secreting small molecules that can signal to distant organs in the body. Bile acids are one class of these signaling molecules, synthesized by the host and chemically transformed by the gut microbiota. Among bile acid metabolizers, bile acid 7-dehydroxylating bacteria are commensals of particular importance as they carry out the 7-dehydroxylation of liver-derived primary bile acids to 7-dehydroxylated bile acids. The latter represents a major fraction of the secondary bile acid pool. The microbiology of this group of gut microorganisms is understudied and warrants more attention. Here, we detail the bile acid transformations carried out by the 7-dehydroxylating bacterium Clostridium scindens in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, C. scindens exhibits not only 7α-dehydroxylating capabilities but also, the ability to oxidize other hydroxyl groups and reduce ketone gr...