Updated Molecular Knowledge about Histamine Biosynthesis by Bacteria

• Published in: Critical reviews in food science and nutrition Vol. 48; no. 8; pp. 697 - 714
• Main Authors: Landete, Jose Maria, Rivas, Blanca de las, Marcobal, Angela, Munoz, Rosario
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Taylor & Francis Group 01.09.2008; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Bacteria; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacteria - metabolism; biogenic amine; Biological and medical sciences; Biosynthesis; carboxy-lyases; chemistry; detection; detection methods; Enzymes; Fermentation; Food; Food contamination & poisoning; Food industries; food poisoning; Foodborne Diseases; Foodborne Diseases - microbiology; foodborne illness; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; genes; genetics; Gram-negative bacteria; Gram-positive bacteria; Health hazards; Histamine; Histamine - biosynthesis; Histamine - genetics; Histidine Decarboxylase; Histidine Decarboxylase - chemistry; Histidine Decarboxylase - genetics; Histidine Decarboxylase - metabolism; Ingestion; isolation & purification; literature reviews; loci; metabolism; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; Microbial activity; microbial genetics; microbial physiology; microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Nutrition; Poisoning; protein synthesis; Pyridoxal Phosphate; Pyridoxal Phosphate - metabolism; pyridoxal phosphate-dependent histidine decarboxylases; pyruvoyl-dependent histidine decarboxylases; Studies; Enzyme; Lyases; Biosynthesis; Knowledge; Histidine decarboxylase; Histamine; Carbon-carbon lyases; detection methods; Analysis method; Carboxy-lyases; Food poisoning; Biogenic amine; Digestive diseases; Bacteria; Control method; Detection
• ISSN: 1040-8398; 1549-7852; 1549-7852
• DOI: 10.1080/10408390701639041

Histamine poisoning is caused by the ingestion of food containing high levels of histamine, a biogenic amine. Histamine could be expected in virtually all foods that contain proteins or free histidine and that are subject to conditions enabling microbial activity. In most histamine-containing foods the majority of the histamine is generated by decarboxylation of the histidine through histidine decarboxylase enzymes derived from the bacteria present in food. Bacterial histidine decarboxylases have been extensively studied and characterized in different organisms and two different enzymes groups have been distinguished, pyridoxal phosphate- and the pyruvoyl-dependent. Pyridoxal phosphate-dependent histidine decarboxylases are encountered in Gram-negative bacteria belonging to various species. Pyruvoyl-dependent histidine decarboxylases are found in Gram-positive bacteria and specially in lactic acid bacteria implicated in food fermentation or spoilage. The molecular organization of the genes involved in histamine production have been elucidated in several histamine-producer bacteria. This molecular knowledge has led to the development of molecular methods for the rapid detection of bacteria possessing the ability to produce histamine. The detection of histamine-producer bacteria is of great importance for its potential health hazard as well as from an economic point of view since products exceeding recommended limits can be refused in commercial transactions.