title: Metagenomic identification of a novel salt tolerance gene from the human gut microbiome which encodes a membrane protein with homology to a brp/blh-family β-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase.
abstract: The human gut microbiome consists of at least 3 million non-redundant genes, 150 times that of the core human genome. Herein, we report the identification and characterisation of a novel stress tolerance gene from the human gut metagenome. The locus, assigned brpA, encodes a membrane protein with homology to a brp/blh-family β-carotene monooxygenase. Cloning and heterologous expression of brpA in Escherichia coli confers a significant salt tolerance phenotype. Furthermore, when cultured in the presence of exogenous β-carotene, cell pellets adopt a red/orange pigmentation indicating the incorporation of carotenoids in the cell membrane.
authors: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors: Eamonn P
authors: EP
authors: Culligan
authors: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland.
authors: Roy D
authors: RD
authors: Sleator
authors: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors: Julian R
authors: JR
authors: Marchesi
authors: Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors: Colin
authors: C
authors: Hill
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D056186:Metagenomics / Q000379:methods*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D050559:beta-Carotene 15,15'-Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D050559:beta-Carotene 15,15'-Monooxygenase