Fungal PAH-metabolites resist mineralization by soil microorganisms

Stine Nørgaard Schmidt; Jan H. Christensen; Anders R. Johnsen

doi:10.1021/es903415t

Fungal PAH-metabolites resist mineralization by soil microorganisms

Stine Nørgaard Schmidt, Jan H. Christensen, Anders R. Johnsen

33 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study investigated the mineralization of water-soluble polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites produced by the soil fungus Cunninghamella elegans. Eleven soil fungi were screened for their ability to metabolize ¹⁴Cphenanthrene, ¹⁴C-fluoranthene, and ¹⁴C-pyrene into watersoluble compounds. Eight fungi produced water-soluble metabolites from all or some of the PAHs. The composition of the water-soluble PAH-metabolites from the most effective solubilizer C. elegans was analyzed by an ultraperformance liquid Chromatograph interfaced to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Thirty-eight metabolites were detected. All of 34 identified metabolites were sulfate-conjugated. The mineralization of ¹⁴C-metabolites, produced by C. elegans, was compared to mineralization of the parent ¹⁴C-PAHs in soil slurries. It was hypothesized that the increased bioavailability and metabolic activation of the metabolites would increase mineralization in soil slurries compared to mineralization of the parent PAHs. Unexpectedly, the mineralization of the ¹⁴Cmetabolites was in all cases extremely slow compared to the mineralization of the parent ¹⁴C-PAHs. Slow ¹⁴C-metabolite mineralization was not caused by metabolite toxicity, neither was cometabolic mineralization of ¹⁴C-metabolites stimulated by the presence of active PAH-degraders. High water solubility, low lipophilicity, and extremely slow mineralization of the metabolites indicate a potential problem of leaching of fungal PAHmetabolites to the groundwater.

Original language	English
Journal	Environmental Science & Technology (Washington)
Volume	44
Issue number	5
Pages (from-to)	1677-1682
Number of pages	6
ISSN	0013-936X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/es903415t
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2010

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10.1021/es903415t

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@article{22b78ac3caba48cab9f58bc86773b980,

title = "Fungal PAH-metabolites resist mineralization by soil microorganisms",

abstract = "This study investigated the mineralization of water-soluble polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites produced by the soil fungus Cunninghamella elegans. Eleven soil fungi were screened for their ability to metabolize 14Cphenanthrene, 14C-fluoranthene, and 14C-pyrene into watersoluble compounds. Eight fungi produced water-soluble metabolites from all or some of the PAHs. The composition of the water-soluble PAH-metabolites from the most effective solubilizer C. elegans was analyzed by an ultraperformance liquid Chromatograph interfaced to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Thirty-eight metabolites were detected. All of 34 identified metabolites were sulfate-conjugated. The mineralization of 14C-metabolites, produced by C. elegans, was compared to mineralization of the parent 14C-PAHs in soil slurries. It was hypothesized that the increased bioavailability and metabolic activation of the metabolites would increase mineralization in soil slurries compared to mineralization of the parent PAHs. Unexpectedly, the mineralization of the 14Cmetabolites was in all cases extremely slow compared to the mineralization of the parent 14C-PAHs. Slow 14C-metabolite mineralization was not caused by metabolite toxicity, neither was cometabolic mineralization of 14C-metabolites stimulated by the presence of active PAH-degraders. High water solubility, low lipophilicity, and extremely slow mineralization of the metabolites indicate a potential problem of leaching of fungal PAHmetabolites to the groundwater.",

author = "Schmidt, {Stine N{\o}rgaard} and Christensen, {Jan H.} and Johnsen, {Anders R.}",

year = "2010",

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doi = "10.1021/es903415t",

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T1 - Fungal PAH-metabolites resist mineralization by soil microorganisms

AU - Schmidt, Stine Nørgaard

AU - Christensen, Jan H.

AU - Johnsen, Anders R.

PY - 2010/3/1

Y1 - 2010/3/1

N2 - This study investigated the mineralization of water-soluble polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites produced by the soil fungus Cunninghamella elegans. Eleven soil fungi were screened for their ability to metabolize 14Cphenanthrene, 14C-fluoranthene, and 14C-pyrene into watersoluble compounds. Eight fungi produced water-soluble metabolites from all or some of the PAHs. The composition of the water-soluble PAH-metabolites from the most effective solubilizer C. elegans was analyzed by an ultraperformance liquid Chromatograph interfaced to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Thirty-eight metabolites were detected. All of 34 identified metabolites were sulfate-conjugated. The mineralization of 14C-metabolites, produced by C. elegans, was compared to mineralization of the parent 14C-PAHs in soil slurries. It was hypothesized that the increased bioavailability and metabolic activation of the metabolites would increase mineralization in soil slurries compared to mineralization of the parent PAHs. Unexpectedly, the mineralization of the 14Cmetabolites was in all cases extremely slow compared to the mineralization of the parent 14C-PAHs. Slow 14C-metabolite mineralization was not caused by metabolite toxicity, neither was cometabolic mineralization of 14C-metabolites stimulated by the presence of active PAH-degraders. High water solubility, low lipophilicity, and extremely slow mineralization of the metabolites indicate a potential problem of leaching of fungal PAHmetabolites to the groundwater.

AB - This study investigated the mineralization of water-soluble polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites produced by the soil fungus Cunninghamella elegans. Eleven soil fungi were screened for their ability to metabolize 14Cphenanthrene, 14C-fluoranthene, and 14C-pyrene into watersoluble compounds. Eight fungi produced water-soluble metabolites from all or some of the PAHs. The composition of the water-soluble PAH-metabolites from the most effective solubilizer C. elegans was analyzed by an ultraperformance liquid Chromatograph interfaced to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Thirty-eight metabolites were detected. All of 34 identified metabolites were sulfate-conjugated. The mineralization of 14C-metabolites, produced by C. elegans, was compared to mineralization of the parent 14C-PAHs in soil slurries. It was hypothesized that the increased bioavailability and metabolic activation of the metabolites would increase mineralization in soil slurries compared to mineralization of the parent PAHs. Unexpectedly, the mineralization of the 14Cmetabolites was in all cases extremely slow compared to the mineralization of the parent 14C-PAHs. Slow 14C-metabolite mineralization was not caused by metabolite toxicity, neither was cometabolic mineralization of 14C-metabolites stimulated by the presence of active PAH-degraders. High water solubility, low lipophilicity, and extremely slow mineralization of the metabolites indicate a potential problem of leaching of fungal PAHmetabolites to the groundwater.

U2 - 10.1021/es903415t

DO - 10.1021/es903415t

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 20136075

SN - 0013-936X

VL - 44

SP - 1677

EP - 1682

JO - Environmental Science & Technology

JF - Environmental Science & Technology

IS - 5

ER -

Fungal PAH-metabolites resist mineralization by soil microorganisms

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