Oxalate-degrading Providencia rettgeri isolated from human stools

Int J Urol. 2005 Jun;12(6):533-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-2042.2005.01083.x.

Abstract

Background: Oxalate-degrading bacteria are thought to metabolize intestinal oxalate and thus decrease the urinary excretion of oxalate by reducing its intestinal absorption.

Methods: We have isolated several novel oxalate-degrading bacteria from human stools. Oxalate degrading bacteria were investigated to characterize their protein profiles with antibodies against oxalyl-coenzyme A decarboxylase (65 kDa) and formyl-coenzyme A transferase (48 kDa) purified from Oxalobacter formigenes.

Results: One of these isolates was identified as Providencia rettgeri, which showed two proteins (65 kDa and 48 kDa) on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) that were not found in non-oxalate-degrading P. rettgeri. Antibodies reacted with the 65 and 48 kDa proteins from the P. rettgeri strain on Western blotting. An Oxalobacter formigenes formyl-coenzyme A transferase gene probe reacted with chromosomal DNA from P. rettgeri on Southern blotting under high stringency conditions, while an Oxalobacter formigenes oxalyl-coenzyme A decarboxylase gene probe did not react under the same conditions.

Conclusions: The mechamism of oxalate degradation by P. rettgeri appears to be similar to that of Oxalobacter formigenes. This is the first report of a facultative oxalate-degrading organism that is one of the Enterobacteriaceae.

MeSH terms

  • Blotting, Southern
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carboxy-Lyases / immunology
  • Carboxy-Lyases / metabolism
  • Coenzyme A-Transferases / immunology
  • Coenzyme A-Transferases / metabolism
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Feces / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Immune Sera
  • Oxalates / metabolism*
  • Oxalobacter formigenes / enzymology
  • Providencia / enzymology
  • Providencia / isolation & purification*
  • Providencia / metabolism*

Substances

  • Immune Sera
  • Oxalates
  • Coenzyme A-Transferases
  • formyl-coenzyme A transferase
  • Carboxy-Lyases
  • oxalyl CoA decarboxylase