title: Steroid sulfatase activity in a Peptococcus niger strain from the human intestinal microflora.
abstract: A strictly anaerobic gram-positive coccus, identified as Peptococcus niger, that developed sulfatase activity towards steroid-3-sulfate esters was isolated from human fecal material. This strain desulfated the arylsulfate esters estrone-3-sulfate (100%) and beta-estradiol-3-sulfate (50%); only trace amounts of desulfated estriol-3-sulfate were found. In addition, alkylsulfatase activity was found towards the 3 alpha-sulfates of 5 alpha-androstane-17-one and 5 beta-androstane-17-one and towards the 3 beta-sulfates of 5 alpha-androstane-17-one, delta 5-androstene-17-one, 5 alpha-pregnane-20-one, and delta 5-pregnene-20-one, all of which were 100% desulfated. No sulfatase activity was found towards the 17-sulfate esters of beta-estradiol or delta 4-androstene-3-one-17 alpha-ol. The nonsteroid arylsulfate esters paranitrophenyl sulfate, paranitrocatechol sulfate, and phenolphthalein disulfate were desulfated 70, 40, and 40%, respectively. In addition to its sulfatase activity, this strain also developed C-17 oxidoreductase activity towards the estrogens and androsta(e)nes and C-3 oxidoreductase activity towards androsta(e)nes and pregna(e)nes.
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D003470:Culture Media; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D010460:Peptococcus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D043266:Steryl-Sulfatase; D013429:Sulfatases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D013429:Sulfatases; D043266:Steryl-Sulfatase