Biodegradation of trimethylamine by a halotolerant strain of Paracoccus sp. PS1 and in silico analysis of trimethylamine degrading enzymes

Abstract

In recent times, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) a gut metabolite generated by constitutive oxidation and reduction by gut microbial and host enzymes is gaining increased attention of scientists as it has been linked to the development of atherosclerosis and other ailments such as chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, etc. TMAO which acts as a biomarker for health risk is generated by the oxidation of trimethylamine (TMA), produced by human gut microflora from proteinaceous food material. Microbial degradation of TMA can be a predicted approach towards the reduction of the effect of TMAO on human health. The isolated Paracoccus sp. strain PS1 could rapidly grow in mineral salt medium supplemented with TMA as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Its TMA degrading capacity was further confirmed through spectrophotometric, Electrospray Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (ESI TOF-MS) and High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. In silico analysis of the TMA/TMAO degrading enzymes were performed using bioinformatics tools.