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Biotransformation of fluorobiphenyl by Cunninghamella elegans

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Abstract

The fungus Cunninghamella elegans is a useful model of human catabolism of xenobiotics. In this paper, the biotransformation of fluorinated biphenyls by C. elegans was investigated by analysis of the culture supernatants with a variety of analytical techniques. 4-Fluorobiphenyl was principally transformed to 4-fluoro-4′-hydroxybiphenyl, but other mono- and dihydroxylated compounds were detected in organic extracts by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Additionally, fluorinated water-soluble products were detected by 19F NMR and were identified as sulphate and β-glucuronide conjugates. Other fluorobiphenyls (2-fluoro-, 4,4′-difluoro- and 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluoro-biphenyl) were catabolised by C. elegans, yielding mono- and dihydroxylated products, but phase II metabolites were detected from 4,4′-difluorobiphenyl only.

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Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge financial assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency STRIVE Programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, Ardmore House, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Jessica Amadio & Cormac D. Murphy

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  1. Jessica Amadio
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  2. Cormac D. Murphy
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Correspondence to Cormac D. Murphy.

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Amadio, J., Murphy, C.D. Biotransformation of fluorobiphenyl by Cunninghamella elegans . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 86, 345–351 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-2346-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-009-2346-4

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