Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Using Multi-fluorinated Bile Acids and In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Measure Bile Acid Transport
Published on: November 27, 2016
Bile Acid 7α-Dehydroxylating Gut Bacteria Secrete Antibiotics that Inhibit Clostridium difficile: Role of Secondary
Jason D Kang1, Christopher J Myers2, Spencer C Harris2
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA; McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA, USA.
Abstract:
Clostridium scindens biotransforms primary bile acids into secondary bile acids, and is correlated with inhibition of Clostridium difficile growth in vivo. The aim of the current study was to determine how C. scindens regulates C. difficile growth in vitro and if these interactions might relate to the regulation of gut microbiome structure in vivo. The bile acid 7α-dehydroxylating gut bacteria, C. scindens and C. sordellii, were found to secrete the tryptophan-derived antibiotics, 1-acetyl-β-carboline and turbomycin A, respectively. Both antibiotics inhibited growth of C. difficile and other gut bacteria. The secondary bile acids, deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid, but not cholic acid, enhanced the inhibitory activity of these antibiotics. These antibiotics appear to inhibit cell division of C. difficile. The results help explain how endogenously synthesized antibiotics and secondary bile acids may regulate C. difficile growth and the structure of the gut microbiome in health and disease.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Bile
Bile is released when dietary fats enter...
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Nucleic Acids
DNA and RNA
The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the genetic material in all living organisms, ranging from single-celled bacteria to multicellular mammals. It is in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In prokaryotes,...
Nucleic acids
DNA and RNA
The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the genetic material in all living organisms, ranging from single-celled bacteria to multicellular mammals. It is in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In prokaryotes,...
Amino acids
Polyprotic Acids

