Escherichia glucuronidase

Zenser, T.V., Lakshmi, V.M. and Davis, B.B. (1999) Human and Escherichia coli /3-glucuronidase hydrolysis of glucuronide conjugates of benzidine and 4-aminobiphenyl, and their hydroxy metabolites. Drug Metabolism and Disposition The Biological Fate of Chemicals, 27, 1064—1067. 

Dray J, Dray F, Tiller F, Ulman A (1972) Hydrolysis of urine metabolites of different steroid hormons by b-glucuronidase of Escherichia coli. Ann Inst Pasteur 123 853-857... 

The first proteins from transgenic plants to reach commercial status were avidin and P-glucuronidase (GUS) both of which are used as diagnostic agents in molecular biology. An important principle demonstrated by these case studies is that molecular farming in cereals can be an economical alternative even when the natural source of a protein is abundant (i.e. egg whites for avidin, and Escherichia coli for GUS) and where a market is already established. 

T. V. Zenser, V. M. Lakshmi, B. B. Davis, Human and Escherichia coli /3-Glucuronidase Hydrolysis of Glucuronide Conjugates of Benzidine and 4-Aminobiphenyl, and Their Hydroxy Metabolites , Drug Metab. Dispos. 1999, 27, 1064 - 1077. 

Chang TC, Huang SH. A modified immuno-polymerase chain reaction for the detection of beta-glucuronidase from Escherichia coli. J Immunol Methods 1997 208(1) 35 12. 

Table I gives approximate figures for the /3-glucuronidase activity of nearly all known sources of the enzyme. It can be seen that the enzyme is universally distributed in mammalian tissues and body fluids. This generalization probably extends to other vertebrates, and to insects and molluscs. The occurrence of the enzyme in micro-organisms is random, and bears no relation to their pathogenicity for man. The microbial enzyme may be adaptive or constitutive, and extracellular or intracellular the enzyme in Escherichia coli is adaptive and extracellular, whilst that in...

Several studies have focused on the specific detection of Escherichia coli with SPC, using different labelling procedures. While Lepeuple et al. (2003) used a 16S rRNA directed nucleic acid probe, Prescott and Fricker (1999) used a PNA probe. In both methods TSA was included to increase the fluorescence intensity. Van Poucke and Nelis (2000a, b) on the other hand used an enzyme substrate (fluorescein-6-D-diglucuronide) for the demonstration of 6-glucuronidase activity in Escherichia coli. The quantitative difference in enzyme activity between target and non-target bacterial cells allowed for the specific detection of Escherichia coli. 

Jefferson RA, Burgess SM, Hirsh D. (3-Glucuronidase from Escherichia coli as a gene-fusion marker. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 83 8447-8451, 1986. 

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