Biochemical and molecular insights into bile salt hydrolase in the gastrointestinal microflora - A review -

Abstract

Bile salt deconjugation is the most biologically significant reaction among the bacterial alterations of bile acids in the gastrointestinal tract of human and animal. The responsible enzyme, bile salt hydrolase (BSH), catalyzes the hydrolysis of glycine-and/or taurine-conjugated bile salts into amino acid residues and deconjugated bile acids. Herein we review current knowledge on the distribution of BSH activity among various microorganisms with respect to their biochemical and molecular characteristics. The proposed physiological impact of BSH activity on the host animal as well as on the BSH-producing bacterial cells is discussed. BSH activity of the probiotic strains is examined on the basis of BSH hypothesis, which was proposed to explain cholesterol-lowering effects of probiotics. Finally, the potential applications of BSH research are briefly discussed.