Proteome, Bioinformatic, and Functional Analyses Reveal a Distinct and Conserved Metabolic Pathway for Bile Salt Degradation in the <i>Sphingomonadaceae</i>
Franziska Maria Feller, Lars Wöhlbrand, Johannes Holert, Vanessa Schnaars, Lea Elsner, William W. Mohn, Ralf Rabus, Bodo Philipp
Abstract
This study highlights the biochemical diversity of bacterial degradation of steroid compounds, in particular bile salts. Furthermore, it substantiates and advances knowledge of a variant pathway for degradation of steroids by sphingomonads, a group of environmental bacteria that are well known for their broad metabolic capabilities. Biodegradation of bile salts is a critical process due to the high input of these compounds from manure into agricultural soils and wastewater treatment plants. In addition, these results may also be relevant for the biotechnological production of bile salts or other steroid compounds with pharmaceutical functions.