Evidence for a multigene family involved in bile acid 7-dehydroxylation in Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708

Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708 is a human intestinal isolate which has an inducible bile acid 7-dehydroxylation activity. At least two cholic acid-induced polypeptides, with molecular masses of 27,000 and 45,000 daltons, respectively, coelute with bile acid 7-dehydroxylation activity. The 45,000-dalton polypeptide appears to be encoded by a cholic acid-induced mRNA species of greater than 6 kilobases, which suggests that the gene coding for this polypeptide is part of a larger operon. A gene has been cloned which flanks the gene encoding the 45,000-dalton polypeptide, in the upstream (5') direction. This gene appears to encode a second 27,000-dalton polypeptide. The gene bears striking homology at both the nucleotide (80%) and deduced amino acid sequence (89%) levels with the gene which encodes the 27,000-dalton polypeptide that has been shown previously to be involved in the bile acid 7-dehydroxylation reaction sequence. The implications of this homology and the possible function(s) of the two homologous genes in bile acid 7-dehydroxylation are discussed. Evidence is presented which suggests that the two homologous genes involved in bile acid 7-dehydroxylation may be part of a larger multigene family in Eubacterium sp. strain VPI 12708.