Gut microbial β-glucuronidases reactivate estrogens as components of the estrobolome that reactivate estrogens
Samantha M. Ervin; Hao Li; Lauren Lim; Lee R. Roberts; Xue Liang; Sridhar Mani; Matthew R. Redinbo
Journal of Biological Chemistry2019
Summary (paraphrased)
The authors isolated and characterized beta-glucuronidase enzymes from human gut bacteria and tested their ability to deconjugate estrone-3-glucuronide and estradiol-17-glucuronide. Several gut microbial glucuronidases efficiently cleaved these conjugates, regenerating free estrone and estradiol capable of re-entering circulation. The study provided the first enzyme-level evidence for the estrobolome concept: that specific microbial enzymes, not just bulk fecal activity, determine how much estrogen the host excretes versus reabsorbs.
Why it’s in the systems review
This is the primary-data paper behind the estrobolome claim that the corpus's reviews cite. Powers' background model asserts that gut bacterial enzymes "undo hormone clearance" — this study is the concrete experimental demonstration of exactly that, at the enzyme level, for estrogen glucuronides. It earns its place as the mechanistic anchor for all enterohepatic-recycling claims in the corpus. Open-access (CC-BY).
Related records
- Peer-reviewed paper
The testobolome in microbial testosterone metabolism and human health
Liisa Veerus; Anushka Subrahmanian; Martin J. Blaser · npj Biofilms and Microbiomes
This review proposes the "testobolome" — the collection of gut microbial genes and pathways that metabolize testosterone — as the androgen counterpart of the estrobolome. It traces testosterone from endogenous and exogenous sources through hepatic phase I/II…
MECH-0152026Systems review · Oct 2026 - Peer-reviewed paper
Industrialization increases the estrogen-recycling capacity of the gut microbiome
Rebecca S. A. Brittain; Richard G. Bribiescas; Grażyna Jasienska · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Comparing gut metagenomes across industrialized and non-industrialized populations, the authors found that industrialization is associated with a higher microbial capacity to recycle estrogens — more bacterial beta-glucuronidase genes and greater predicted…
MECH-0172026Systems review · Oct 2026