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β-Glucuronidase majorpublished
β-Glucuronidase can inadvertently increase cancer risk by reactivating detoxified carcinogens in the gut, transforming them back into harmful compounds, highlighting its complex and potentially dangerous role in the body.
β-Glucuronidase
Researched by:
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Karen Pendergrass
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Karen Pendergrass
Read MoreKaren Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease—four years before the first published case study.
Fact-checked by:
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Kimberly Eyer
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Kimberly Eyer
Read MoreKimberly Eyer, a Registered Nurse with 30 years of nursing experience across diverse settings, including Home Health, ICU, Operating Room Nursing, and Research. Her roles have encompassed Operating Room Nurse, RN First Assistant, and Acting Director of a Same Day Surgery Center. Her specialty areas include Adult Cardiac Surgery, Congenital Cardiac Surgery, Vascular Surgery, and Neurosurgery.
β-glucuronidase in the gut microbiome breaks down metabolites, drugs, and hormone conjugates like estrogen, aiding microbial energy use and nutrient cycling. Its activity influences drug efficacy and hormone levels, maintaining estrogen balance and impacting health. Disruption in this process can lead to estrogen-related diseases, such as gynecological cancers and menopausal syndrome, and increase colorectal cancer risks by reactivating carcinogens, highlighting its pivotal role in linking microbial actions to host physiological processes.
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Karen Pendergrass
Read More
Researched by:
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Karen Pendergrass
ID
Karen Pendergrass
Read More
Fact-checked by:
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Kimberly Eyer
ID
Kimberly Eyer
Read More
Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Karen Pendergrass
Overview
β‑Glucuronidase (GUS) is a microbial and host enzyme that cleaves glucuronides—conjugated forms of drugs, hormones, metabolites, and xenobiotics excreted into the gut via bile. By releasing the parent compounds, microbial GUS supplies energy sources to gut bacteria, supports nutrient cycling, and alters enterohepatic recirculation. This activity can change the bioavailability and effectiveness of medications and modulate hormone tone (notably estrogens). Disruption of GUS–estrogen interactions may contribute to estrogen‑related conditions (e.g., gynecologic cancers and menopause‑related symptoms) and can be exacerbated by dysbiosis. GUS can also reconvert detoxified carcinogens to active forms. Overall, GUS sits at the intersection of microbial metabolism and host physiology.
Function
β‑Glucuronidase is a hydrolase that removes β‑D‑glucuronic acid from glucuronides, liberating the aglycone and glucuronic acid. In the gut, bacterial GUS deconjugates bile‑delivered glucuronides from drugs, hormones, and other metabolites, enabling bacterial growth and reshaping host exposure. In tissues, GUS also participates in the turnover of complex carbohydrates (e.g., components of glycosaminoglycans). Beneficial effects on microbial ecology coexist with potential harms to the host: drug reactivation, increased local toxin exposure, and restoration of procarcinogens.
Significance
Because GUS reverses hepatic glucuronidation, it directly influences drug pharmacokinetics, hormone balance, and xenobiotic handling. Abnormal or context‑dependent GUS activity has been associated with liver dysfunction, hormone‑driven conditions, and cancer risk. Bacterial GUS in particular can increase free estrogens by deconjugation, with implications for estrogen‑responsive diseases such as breast cancer and endometriosis.
Microbes that express β-Glucuronidase
Many gut bacteria encode β‑glucuronidase (GUS), which hydrolyzes host‑excreted glucuronides to liberate usable carbon and energy. This same activity can undo hepatic conjugation of drugs, hormones, and other xenobiotics, thereby influencing efficacy, toxicity, and local exposure to procarcinogens. Because GUS expression and substrate specificity vary at the strain level and with growth conditions, taxonomy alone does not predict function. The tables summarize representative taxa with reported GUS activity and selected clinical links; interpret these entries as functional tendencies rather than exhaustive or universal properties.
| Bacteria | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Escherichia coli | E. coli is an anaerobic bacterium known for its β-glucuronidase activity, which is often linked to various infections and diseases. |
| Streptococcus spp. | A major component of the gut microbiome; these anaerobic bacteria are significant producers of β-glucuronidase. |
| Bacteroides spp. | Major component of the gut microbiome; these anaerobic bacteria are significant producers of β-glucuronidase. |
| Clostridium perfringens | An anaerobic bacterium, known for its strong β-glucuronidase activity, often linked to various infections and diseases. |
| Staphylococcus spp. | Some species in this genus express β-glucuronidase, contributing to their pathogenic profile in some contexts. |
| Enterococcus faecalis | Part of the normal gut flora but can be pathogenic; expresses β-glucuronidase which may play a role in its virulence and the intestinal environment. |
| Lactobacillus spp. | Typically considered beneficial, some species in this genus can produce β-glucuronidase, affecting estrogen levels and potentially influencing hormone-dependent conditions. |
Implicated Conditions
Here are some of the conditions that β-glucuronidase has been implicated in, which illustrates the diversity of its potential clinical impacts:
| Condition | Role of β-Glucuronidase |
|---|---|
| Breast Cancer | Elevated levels can enhance estrogen activity, promoting the proliferation of estrogen-responsive breast cancer cells. |
| Endometriosis | Increases estrogen levels through deconjugation, potentially exacerbating the condition as well as other common endometriosis comorbidities. |
| Liver Disease | High β-glucuronidase activity is often seen in liver dysfunction, affecting drug metabolism and toxin clearance. |
| Colorectal Cancer | Bacterial β-glucuronidase activity may influence the metabolism of carcinogens, contributing to colorectal carcinogenesis. |
| Gout | Impaired breakdown of glycosaminoglycans can contribute to uric acid accumulation. |
| Neonatal Jaundice | Elevated serum levels may indicate or exacerbate conditions like jaundice in newborns, as it affects bilirubin clearance. |
Research Feed
The role of gut and genital microbiota and the estrobolome in endometriosis, infertility and chronic pelvic pain
October 27, 2021
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Endometriosis
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Endometriosis
Did you know?
Gut microbiota predict endometriosis better than vaginal microbiota.
Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP)
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Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP)
Did you know?
Estimates suggest that 1 in 7 women in the United States is affected by Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP).
Infertility
•
Infertility
Did you know?
Despite common perceptions, male factors alone are responsible for about 30% of all infertility cases and contribute to another 20% when combined with female factors. This highlights the importance of evaluating both partners in infertility assessments.
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Update History
Estrogen
Estrogen is a steroid hormone primarily found in women, crucial for reproductive health, secondary sexual characteristics, and various physiological processes. It regulates menstrual cycles, supports pregnancy, and influences bone density and cardiovascular health. Dysregulation of estrogen levels can lead to various disorders and health complications.
Breast Cancer
Traditionally linked to genetic predispositions and environmental exposures, emerging evidence highlights the microbiome as a critical and underappreciated factor influencing breast cancer progression, immune response, and treatment outcomes.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis involves ectopic endometrial tissue causing pain and infertility. Validated and Promising Interventions include Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Low Nickel Diet, and Metronidazole therapy.
Breast Cancer
Traditionally linked to genetic predispositions and environmental exposures, emerging evidence highlights the microbiome as a critical and underappreciated factor influencing breast cancer progression, immune response, and treatment outcomes.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis involves ectopic endometrial tissue causing pain and infertility. Validated and Promising Interventions include Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), Low Nickel Diet, and Metronidazole therapy.