Environmental hazard and risk assessment of thiochemicals. Application of integrated testing and intelligent assessment strategies (ITS) to fulfil the REACH requirements for aquatic toxicity.

REACH requires information on hazardous properties of substances to be generated avoiding animal testing where possible. It is the objective of the present case study with thiochemicals to extract as much information as possible from available experimental data with fish, daphnia and algae and to fill data gaps for analogues to be registered under REACH in 2018. Based on considerations of chemical similarity and common mode of action (MOA) the data gaps regarding the aquatic toxicity of the thiochemicals were largely closed by trend analysis ("category approach") and read-across within the same group, for example, thioglycolates or mercaptopropionates.

Biodegradation tests of mercaptocarboxylic acids, their esters, related divalent sulfur compounds and mercaptans.

Mercaptocarboxylic acids and their esters, a class of difunctional compounds bearing both a mercapto and a carboxylic acid or ester functional group, are industrial chemicals of potential environmental concern. Biodegradation of such compounds was systematically investigated here, both by literature search and by experiments (Closed Bottle Test OECD 301D and Manometric Respirometry Test OECD 301F). These compounds were found either readily biodegradable or at least biodegradable to a significant extent.

Development of cultivation strategies for friulimicin production in Actinoplanes friuliensis.

Actinoplanes friuliensis is a rare actinomycete which produces the highly potent lipopeptide antibiotic friulimicin. This lipopeptide antibiotic is active against a broad range of multi-resistant gram-positive bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Enterococcus sp. and Staphylococcus aureus (MRE, MRSA) strains.

Complete genome sequence of the actinobacterium Actinoplanes friuliensis HAG 010964, producer of the lipopeptide antibiotic friulimycin.

Actinoplanes friuliensis HAG 010964 (DSM 7358) was isolated from a soil sample from the Friuli region in Italy and characterized as a producer of the antibiotic friulimycin. The complete genome sequence includes genomic information of secondary metabolite biosynthesis and of its lifestyle. Genbank/EMBL/DDBJ Accession Nr: CP006272 (chromosome).

Guidance for the classification of carcinogens under the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) has developed criteria for a globally harmonised system of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS). With regard to carcinogenicity, GHS distinguishes between Category 1 ('known or presumed human carcinogens') and Category 2 ('suspected human carcinogens'). Category 1 carcinogens are divided into Category 1A ('known to have carcinogenic potential for humans'), based largely on human evidence, and 1B ('presumed to have carcinogenic potential for humans'), based largely on experimental animal data.

Comparative analysis of transcriptional activities of heterologous promoters in the rare actinomycete Actinoplanes friuliensis.

Manipulation of secondary metabolite production in the rare actinomycete Actinoplanes friuliensis, the producer of the lipopeptide antibiotic friulimicin, is hampered by the lack of sophisticated genetic tools. Since no expression vectors have been developed from endogenous Actinoplanes plasmids and expression signals, engineering of antibiotic biosynthesis relies on the use of vector systems derived from Streptomyces. While PhiC31 derived vectors were shown to integrate efficiently into the chromosome of Actinoplanes, information on promoter activity is missing.

Analysis of RegA, a pathway-specific regulator of the friulimicin biosynthesis in Actinoplanes friuliensis.

The rare actinomycete Actinoplanes friuliensis is the producer of the lipopeptide antibiotic friulimicin, which is active against a broad range of Gram-positive bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Enterococcus spec. and Staphylococcus aureus (MRE, MRSA) strains. Friulimicin consists of a decapeptide core and an acyl residue linked to an exocyclic amino acid.

Natural feline coronavirus infection: differences in cytokine patterns in association with the outcome of infection.

Natural and experimental feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection leads to systemic viral spread via monocyte-associated viraemia and induces systemic proliferation of monocytes/macrophages. In the majority of naturally infected animals, FCoV infection remains subclinical and is associated with generalised B and T cell hyperplasia, but no other pathological findings. A minority of cats, however, develop feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a fatal systemic granulomatous disease.

Phosphinothricin tripeptide synthetases in Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494.

The tripeptide backbone of phosphinothricin (PT) tripeptide (PTT), a compound with herbicidal activity from Streptomyces viridochromogenes, is assembled by three stand-alone peptide synthetase modules. The enzyme PhsA (66 kDa) recruits the PT-precursor N-acetyl-demethylphosphinothricin (N-Ac-DMPT), whereas the two alanine residues of PTT are assembled by the enzymes PhsB and PhsC (129 and 119 kDa, respectively). During or after assembly, the N-Ac-DMPT residue in the peptide is converted to PT by methylation and deacetylation.

An acyl-CoA dehydrogenase is involved in the formation of the Delta cis3 double bond in the acyl residue of the lipopeptide antibiotic friulimicin in Actinoplanes friuliensis.

The lipopeptide antibiotic friulimicin, produced by Actinoplanes friuliensis, is an effective drug against Gram-positive bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus strains. Friulimicin consists of a cyclic peptide core of ten amino acids and an acyl residue linked to an exocyclic amino acid. The acyl residue is essential for antibiotic activity, varies in length from C13 to C15, and carries a characteristic double bond at position Delta cis3.

Biosynthetic gene cluster of the herbicide phosphinothricin tripeptide from Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494.

The antibiotic phosphinothricin tripeptide (PTT) consists of two molecules of L-alanine and one molecule of the unusual amino acid phosphinothricin (PT) which are nonribosomally combined. The bioactive compound PT has bactericidal, fungicidal, and herbicidal properties and possesses a C-P-C bond, which is very rare in natural compounds. Previously uncharacterized flanking and middle regions of the PTT biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494 were isolated and sequenced.

Tricarboxylic acid cycle aconitase activity during the life cycle of Streptomyces viridochromogenesTü494.

Previously, it was shown that inactivation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle aconitase gene acnA impairs the morphological and physiological differentiation of Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494, which produces the herbicide phosphinothricin tripeptide (PTT). In order to further characterize the role of the aconitase in the Streptomyces life cycle, aconitase activity was analyzed during growth of S. viridochromogenes in liquid culture.