Glucocorticoid hormones in relation to environmental exposure to bisphenols and multiclass pesticides among middle aged-women: Results from hair analysis.

Bisphenols and pesticides have been shown to alter circulating glucocorticoids levels in animals, but there is limited human data. Moreover, measurements from biological fluids may not be able to reflect long-term status of non-persistent pollutants and glucocorticoids due to the high variability in their levels. Using hair analysis, we examined the associations between glucocorticoid hormones and environmental exposure to multi-class organic pollutants among a healthy female population aged 25-45 years old.

Association between Environmental Exposure to Multiclass Organic Pollutants and Sex Steroid Hormone Levels in Women of Reproductive Age.

Organic pollutant exposure may alter sex steroid hormone levels in both animals and humans, but studies on mixture effects have been lacking and mainly limited to persistent organic pollutants, with few hormones being investigated. Moreover, measurements from a single blood or urine sample may not be able to reflect long-term status. Using hair analysis, here, we evaluated the relationship between multiclass organic pollutants and sex steroid hormones in 196 healthy Chinese women aged 25-45 years.

Investigating the biosynthesis of Sch-642305 in the fungus sp. CMU-LMA.

Sch-642305 is an unusual bicyclic 10-membered macrolide produced by the filamentous fungus sp. CMU-LMA for which no biosynthetic evidence exists. Here, we generate a draft genome sequence of the producing organism and discover the biosynthetic gene cluster responsible for formation of Sch-642305.

H3K4 trimethylation by CclA regulates pathogenicity and the production of three families of terpenoid secondary metabolites in Colletotrichum higginsianum.

The role of histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methylation is poorly understood in plant pathogenic fungi. Here, we analysed the function of CclA, a subunit of the COMPASS complex mediating H3K4 methylation, in the brassica anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum higginsianum. We show that CclA is required for full genome-wide H3K4 trimethylation.

Deleting a Chromatin Remodeling Gene Increases the Diversity of Secondary Metabolites Produced by Colletotrichum higginsianum.

Colletotrichum higginsianum is the causal agent of crucifer anthracnose disease, responsible for important economic losses in Brassica crops. A mutant lacking the CclA subunit of the COMPASS complex was expected to undergo chromatin decondensation and the activation of cryptic secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. Liquid-state fermentation of the Δ cclA mutant coupled with in situ solid-phase extraction led to the production of three families of compounds, namely, colletorin and colletochlorin derivatives with two new representatives, colletorin D (1) and colletorin D acid (2), the diterpenoid α-pyrone higginsianin family with two new analogues, higginsianin C (3) and 13- epi-higginsianin C (4), and sclerosporide (5) coupling a sclerosporin moiety with dimethoxy inositol.

Isolation of the antibiotic methyl (R,E)-3-(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclopent-2-en-1-yl)-acrylate EA-2801 from Trichoderma atroviridae.

The endophytic Trichoderma atroviridae UB-LMA was isolated as a symbiont of Taxus baccata and analyzed for its antimicrobial activity. By applying an original approach consisting of solid-state cultivation coupled with solid-phase extraction, a new methyl (R,E)-3-(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclopent-2-en-1-yl)-acrylate derivative named EA-2801 (1) was isolated together with the previously reported isonitrin A and dermadin methyl ester. The chemical structure of 1 was determined by NMR and MS.

Viability-reducing activity of Coryllus avellana L. extracts against human cancer cell lines.

The increasing rate of cancer incidence has encouraged the search for novel natural sources of anticancer compounds. The presence of small quantities of taxol and taxanes in Corylus avellana L. has impelled new potential applications for this plant in the field of biomedicine.

Bicyclic and tetracyclic diterpenes from a Trichoderma symbiont of Taxus baccata.

Trichoderma atroviridae UB-LMA is an endophytic fungus isolated from Taxus baccata trees. Liquid-state fermentation coupled to in situ solid phase extraction (SPE) was applied, and four compounds were discovered. Compounds 2-4 belong to the harziane tetracyclic diterpene family.

Bioactive polyketides isolated from agar-supported fermentation of Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA, taking advantage of the scale-up device, Platotex.

Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA was cultivated on agar-supported fermentation (Ag-SF) using the scale-up prototype Platotex. In total nine compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the culture.

Isolation and characterization of unusual hydrazides from Streptomyces sp. impact of the cultivation support and extraction procedure.

Three novel hydrazides, geralcins C-E (1-3), were isolated from Streptomyces sp. LMA-545, together with MH-031 and geralcins A and B. This unusual family of compounds was isolated from liquid-state and agar-supported fermentation using Amberlite XAD-16 solid-phase extraction during the cultivation step.

Application of solid-phase extraction to agar-supported fermentation.

Agar-supported fermentation (Ag-SF), a variant of solid-state fermentation, has recently been improved by the development of a dedicated 2 m(2) scale pilot facility, Platotex. We investigated the application of solid-phase extraction (SPE) to Ag-SF in order to increase yields and minimize the contamination of the extracts with agar constituents. The selection of the appropriate resin was conducted on liquid-state fermentation and Diaion HP-20 exhibited the highest recovery yield and selectivity for the metabolites of the model fungal strains Phomopsis sp.

Biotransformation of natural compounds: unexpected thio conjugation of Sch-642305 with 3-mercaptolactate catalyzed by Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 cells.

Sch-642305 is produced by the endophytic fungi Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA and exhibits both antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. The incubation of Sch-642305 with Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404 resting cells leads to two unexpected thio conjugates.

Isolation, structure elucidation and biological activity of metabolites from Sch-642305-producing endophytic fungus Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA.

Eight polyketide compounds were isolated from the cultivation broth of Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA. We have recently described LMA-P1, a bicyclic 10-membered macrolide, obtained as a bioconversion derivative of Sch-642305, the major compound isolated in this study.

Biotransformation of natural compounds. Oxido-reduction of Sch-642305 by Aspergillus ochraceus ATCC 1009.

Sch-642305 is the major compound produced by the endophytic fungi Phomopsis sp. CMU-LMA. Incubation of Sch-642305 with Aspergillus ochraceus ATCC 1009 resting cells leads to three new derivatives through an oxido-reduction of the six-membered ring of the molecule.

Platotex: an innovative and fully automated device for cell growth scale-up of agar-supported solid-state fermentation.

Among various factors that influence the production of microbial secondary metabolites (MSM), the method of cultivation is an important one that has not been thoroughly investigated. In order to increase microbial throughput and simplify the extraction and workup steps, we performed a study to compare liquid-state fermentation (LSF) with agar-supported solid-state fermentation (AgSF). We found that AgSF is not only more suitable for our applications but offers, for some microbial strains, a higher yield and broader diversity of secondary metabolites.