Hydrolysis of bile acid conjugates by selected fungi

Summary Fungi which have been previously shown to hydrolyse glycocholic acid, with liberation of the free bile acid, have now been shown to be similarly capable of hydrolysing glycodeoxycholic acid. Sodium taurocholate, however, is much less susceptible and its hydrolysis has been demonstrated with only one of the selected fungi, Penicillium chrysogenum, growing in a medium containing the conjugate as the sole sulphur source. It is concluded that the nature of the amino acid moiety is important in determining the ease of hydrolysis of bile acid conjugates by whole cells of the fungi under test.