Structural basis of malodour precursor transport in the human axilla.
Structural basis of malodour precursor transport in the human axilla.
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DOI：
10.7554/elife.34995
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发表时间：
2018-07-03
期刊：
影响因子：
7.7
通讯作者：
Newstead S
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Minhas GS;Bawdon D;Herman R;Rudden M;Stone AP;James AG;Thomas GH;Newstead S
哺乳动物产生挥发性气味，传达不同类型的社会信息。在Homo Sapiens中，这现在被认为是体味，其中一个关键的化学成分是硫代硫代醇，3-甲基-3-硫烷基Hexan-1-ol（3M3SH）。特异性微生物活性在腋下产生挥发性3M3SH，该活性作用于无味的含二肽的肺泡前体分子，S-Cys-Gly-3M3SH，在定植期间分泌在腋窝（腋下）中。这些细菌识别S-Cys-Gly-3M3SH和产生体气味的机制仍然鲜为人知。在这里，我们报告了hominis葡萄球菌将S-Cys-Gly-3M3SH细菌转运的结构和生化基础，该葡萄球菌被转化为细菌细胞质中硫硫代硫代醇成分3M3SH，然后释放到环境中。对体气味形成必不可少的前体运输的分子基础的知识为设计人类肺泡产生的特定抑制剂提供了新的机会。
人体气味含有许多化学物质，但最刺激和可识别的是硫代酒精。这些分子是通过一系列化学反应产生的，该化学反应从无味前体开始，这是一种在我们腋窝中的腺体产生的化合物。然后，一种称为hominis葡萄球菌的细菌会吸收这些分子，并将其转化为臭硫代醇。细菌如何执行此操作的确切细节尚不清楚。
现在，Minhas，Bawdon等。展示S. hominis如何在其膜上使用转运蛋白将无味的前体带入其中。在实验中，X射线晶体学之类的工具在将化合物移入细菌时捕获了该转运蛋白的快照。这有助于了解细菌如何识别这些前体以及这些分子及其转运蛋白的确切结构。
实验还表明，不产生气味的细菌也可以通过相同的过程摄入前体。这表明气味产生是一个独特的过程，一旦这些分子在hominis内部。
这些发现表明，人类及其产生的细菌可能会一起发展。在其他哺乳动物中，人体气味的细菌产生与信息素的释放有关，信息素的释放是参与交流和选择性伴侣的化学物质。目前尚不清楚人类是否也是如此。最终，了解有关S. hominis如何将前体分子转化为硫代醇的更多信息可能导致芽中刺激体味的新方法。
Mammals produce volatile odours that convey different types of societal information. In Homo sapiens, this is now recognised as body odour, a key chemical component of which is the sulphurous thioalcohol, 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (3M3SH). Volatile 3M3SH is produced in the underarm as a result of specific microbial activity, which act on the odourless dipeptide-containing malodour precursor molecule, S-Cys-Gly-3M3SH, secreted in the axilla (underarm) during colonisation. The mechanism by which these bacteria recognise S-Cys-Gly-3M3SH and produce body odour is still poorly understood. Here we report the structural and biochemical basis of bacterial transport of S-Cys-Gly-3M3SH by Staphylococcus hominis, which is converted to the sulphurous thioalcohol component 3M3SH in the bacterial cytoplasm, before being released into the environment. Knowledge of the molecular basis of precursor transport, essential for body odour formation, provides a novel opportunity to design specific inhibitors of malodour production in humans. Human body odour contains a number of chemicals, but the most pungent and recognisable are thioalcohols. These molecules are created through a series of chemical reactions that start with an odourless precursor, a compound produced in glands located in our armpits. Then, a type of bacteria called Staphylococcus hominis takes in these molecules and transforms them into smelly thioalcohols. The precise details of how the bacteria do this are not clear. Now, Minhas, Bawdon et al. show how S. hominis uses a transport protein in its membrane to bring the odourless precursor inside. In the experiments, tools such as X-ray crystallography captured snapshots of this transporter as it was moving the compound into the bacteria. This helped to understand how the bacteria recognize these precursors, as well as the exact structure of these molecules and of their transporters. The experiments also reveal that bacteria which do not create odour can also ingest the precursors through this same process. This suggests that the odour production is a unique process that happens once these molecules are inside S. hominis. The findings imply that humans and their body odour-producing bacteria likely evolved together. In other mammals, the bacterial production of bodily smells is linked to the release of pheromones, which are chemicals involved in communication and in selecting sexual partners. It is not clear whether this is also true for humans. Ultimately, learning more about how S. hominis converts precursor molecules into thioalcohols could lead to new ways of nipping body odours in the bud.