IGEM 2014 TMAU project : French Team neutralise trimethylamine with GM microbe.

Click to visit link

A group of French graduates based at Paris Descartes University genetically engineered a skin bacteria to make it rich in an enzyme (trimethylamine mono-oxygenase) that oxidizes (neutralizes) trimethylamine to TMA-oxide. The experiment was for an annual international genetic engineering contest for undergraduate teams (IGEM 2014) and was proven to work in a lab (i.e. the concept of proven 'in a test tube').

Link : Something Fishy (IGEM 2014)

The undergraduate team are based at
Centre for Research and Interdisciplinarity (CRI)

Faculty of Medicine Cochin Port-Royal,

South wing, 2nd floor
Paris Descartes University

The team seem to be called 'Paris Bettencourt' for the annual IGEM competition. Perhaps most of their funding is by the Bettencourt Foundation (Bettencourt being the founding family of L'oreal).

The experiment :

The experiment was to take an enzyme that oxidizes trimethylamine to TMA-O from a microbe and put the enzyme in a 'human-friendly' micro-organism. It was one of 4 projects they did in relation to body odor and how genetic engineering may help. In this project, they took a TMA oxidizing enzyme (trimethylamine mono-oxygenase) from a non-human bacteria (Ruegeria pomeroyi) and put it in  E.coli and Corynebacterium striatum, a skin-native bacterium.

Results :

It seems that they were able to put the TMA oxidizing enzyme into E Coli and the Corynebacterium striatum which is a skin-native bacterium 

They put the genetically modified TMM rich E Coli in a TMA liquid and it did oxidize much of the TMA to TMAO.

Possible applications :

They mention the possibility of a TMM-rich bacteria added to a spray or cream to put on the skin and eliminate TMA on the skin.

Presumably another possibility is to make a GM  skin-native bacteria rich in TMM enzyme that could be nurtured to live on humans (?)

Possibly an internal therapy answer could be formulated , such as a TMM rich probiotic.

Final comment :

The big question is whether these types of answers are only possible now or could have been found earlier but have not due to no interest in TMAU/FMO3 by the research community overall. It is also not known if the above project is being followed up on. 

The project says TMM is not just TMA specific, so perhaps it will work on other/all smelly substrates which may be the same as FMO3 substrates.

Desulfovibrio desulfuricans :

The project also seems to 'blame'  Desulfovibrio desulfuricans bacteria as the cause of degradation of choline to TMA. This is the first time I have heard of this connection. It is interesting because it has been a bacteria of suspicion and is mostly known for producing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from sulfates. Many people with metabolic malodor and TMAU report of smelling of 'rotten egg' which H2S is one known possible source of this smell.           

---

Get new posts by email

---

Read More

By sysbodyodor

experiment, FMO3 research, possible future therapy, research, TMAU research

No comments

Osmotic laxative : Laxido was good ; Dulcobalance was bad

I was experimenting with osmotic laxatives recently. Laxido seemed to work 'perfectly', but Dulcobalance made me even more ADHD, agitated, and even constipated (with any stools being of a small amount and messy).

Here are the listed ingredients for both products :

laxido ingredients : 13.125g Macrogol 3350 ... and 350.7mg Sodium chloride, 178.5mg Sodium
hydrogen carbonate and 46.6mg Potassium chloride

dulcobalance ingredients : 10g of macrogol 4000 ... and saccharin sodium, and the orange-grapefruit flavour which contains orange and grapefruit oils, concentrated orange juice, citral, acetaldehyde, linalol, ethyl butyrate, alpha terpineol, octanal, beta and gamma hexenol, maltodextrin, gum arabic, sorbitol (E420)

I have 3 possible theories why dulobalance may have been problematic :

1. Sulfur dioxide included : This may have been the issue. Perhaps the sulfur was feeding sulfur producing bacteria or some other microbe. It says in the leaflet that some are allergic to sulfur though I do not think I am.

2. Grapefruit oils included : compounds in grapefruit are known to inhibit the CYP3A4 enzyme present in the gut of humans. This has a similar function to the FMO3 enzyme (but much more relatively 'important'). Perhaps if my gut CYP3A4 was inhibited it caused a toxic buildup. I suspect this may have been the most likely cause.

3. The size of the macrogol : The macrogol is the basic ingredient that causes osmotic laxatives to induce water into the bowel. I don't know enough to know if the different size could be an issue.

4. Lack of electrolytes : Laxido seems to add balanced electrolytes to the sachet whereas Dulcobalance doesn't add the same mix.

5. Sorbitol : Dulcobalance adds sorbitol which may have fed bacteria in the gut in a certain way when mixed with macrogol.

So in hindsight, I would say Laxido worked the way I expected and Dulcobalance was a disaster. Osmotic laxatives are only meant as a short-term answer to constipation and may cause serious problems if taken long-term (e.g. severe reaction to electrolyte imbalance such as seizure). That said, I wouldn't mind taken much smaller doses of Laxido to make my stool always soft. It was so easy with Laxido.

Bad reaction I had to Dulcobalance : watery itchy eyes, agitated, poor sleep, constipation, infrequent small messy stools, some flatulence, increased tenseness.

Read More

By sysbodyodor

experiment, gut dysbiosis, personal treatment

No comments

Trying antibiotics for fecal body odor

I have had 'intermittent fecal body door' for a number of years. Recently I have decided to try the 'antibiotic route' to see how it goes. So far, having tried 3 antibiotics, I do not seem to be any further along. A main concern is that candida may be a (main) factor. As a reminder though, I must point out that I think it is a FMO3 genetic enzyme deficiency at the root of the problem, but I do think gut dysbiosis is also a factor.

For the record, here is what I have tried and my impression of the result

Antibiotic	Dosage	Comment
Flagyl	400mg twice daily for 2 weeks	Difficult to take. Metallic taste, nightmares etc.. No obvious improvement. Conclude it is too harsh
Amoxycillin	500mg	Not as bad reaction as flagyl but still quite difficult, and no obvious improvement
Doxycycline	100mg 1 a day for 14 days	Easiest to tolerate but still quite difficult. Did not feel any improvement

Summary : The above antibiotics did not seem to improve my odor or gut dysbiosis and were quite difficult to tolerate, which I suspect is due to being unable to metabolize the drugs efficiently.

I am going to try a few more. Like rifaximin and neomycin

Gut dysbiosis :
This is due to microbes causing a pathogenic environment in the gut. It could be bacteria, fungus, or parasites. It can be in the stomach, small intestine, or colon. Currently orthodox medicine would only think bacteria is the problem, but I don't agree.

Read More

By sysbodyodor

experiment, personal treatment

No comments