Briawna Binion

This study identifies novel 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases in Peptoniphilus and Anaerococcus that convert androstenedione to testosterone, expanding understanding of microbial androgen metabolism in the genitourinary tract.

The study identifies Actinobaculum massiliense as a urinary pathobiont capable of generating androgens via the dirAB pathway, using a novel HSDH assay.

This study quantitatively characterizes the kinetic parameters and substrate specificity of the NADPH-dependent 17α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase encoded by the desF gene in Clostridium scindens VPI 12708, revealing its role in epitestosterone formation.

This study identifies a bacterial pathway for androgen production, showing that gut and urinary bacteria can convert androstenedione to epitestosterone and testosterone, which promote prostate cancer growth.