1. Structural basis of malodour precursor transport in the human axilla.
- Author
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Minhas GS, Bawdon D, Herman R, Rudden M, Stone AP, James AG, Thomas GH, and Newstead S
- Subjects
- Axilla microbiology, Axilla physiology, Bacterial Proteins genetics, Bacterial Proteins metabolism, Binding Sites, Biological Transport, Biotransformation, Carrier Proteins genetics, Carrier Proteins metabolism, Crystallography, X-Ray, Cytoplasm metabolism, Dipeptides chemistry, Hexanols chemistry, Humans, Kinetics, Models, Molecular, Odorants prevention & control, Protein Binding, Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical, Protein Conformation, beta-Strand, Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs, Recombinant Proteins chemistry, Recombinant Proteins genetics, Recombinant Proteins metabolism, Staphylococcus hominis genetics, Substrate Specificity, Sulfanilic Acids chemistry, Sweat chemistry, Sweat metabolism, Sweat microbiology, Bacterial Proteins chemistry, Carrier Proteins chemistry, Dipeptides metabolism, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Hexanols metabolism, Odorants analysis, Staphylococcus hominis metabolism, Sulfanilic Acids metabolism
- Abstract
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., Competing Interests: GM, DB, RH, MR, AS, GT, SN No competing interests declared, AJ affiliated with Unilever Discover. The author has no financial interests to declare, (© 2018, Minhas et al.)
- Published
- 2018
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