• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.102-109
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• 2022

Bile acids are essential molecules produced by vertebrates that are involved in several physiological roles, including the uptake of nutrients. Bacterial isolates capable of producing bile acids de novo have been identified and characterized. Such isolates may provide access to novel biochemical pathways suitable for the design of microbial cell factories. Here, we further characterized the ability of Maribacter dokdonensis, Dokdonia donghaensis, and Myroides pelagicus to produce bile acids. Contrary to previous reports, we did not observe de novo production of bile acids by these isolates. Instead, we found that these isolates deconjugated the amino acid moiety of bile acids present in the growth medium used in previous reports. Through genomic analysis, we identified putative bile salt hydrolases, which could be responsible for the different bile acid modifications observed. Our results challenge the hypothesis of de novo microbial bile acid production, while further demonstrating the diverse capacity of bacteria to modify bile acids.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2022

Dyslipidemia in nephrotic syndrome (NS) is often characterized by marked increases in the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and other lipoproteins, such as very low-density lipoprotein, intermediate-density lipoprotein, and lipoprotein(a). It has been suggested that impaired catabolism of lipoproteins and cholesterol is mainly due to decreased lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase activity, and increased biosynthesis of lipoproteins in the liver. The management strategies for dyslipidemia in patients with NS consist of lifestyle modification, lipid-lowering agents represented by statins, second-line agents such as fibrates and bile acid sequestrants, and lipid apheresis. Compared with dyslipidemia in adult NS patients, whose risks of atherosclerotic disease and progressive renal injury are considered high, clinical data on dyslipidemia in pediatric NS patients are limited. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the evaluation and management of dyslipidemia in pediatric patients with NS in clinical practice.