Artificial vs natural Stachybotrys infestation—Comparison of mycotoxin production on various building materials

Abstract

Mold growth in the indoor environment can generally cause allergic, infectious, or toxic symptoms in humans. 1,2 It is conceivable, that spores or mycelium might potentially serve as fungal fragments for indoor air contamination in the course of the aerosolization process 3 and that inhalation exposure along this route can lead to adverse health effects. In this context, various respiratory diseases were frequently reported and proved to be associated with mold in damp buildings. 4-7 In terms of potential toxic health effects, mycotoxins are regarded as health hazards. 8 Mycotoxins are defined as secondary metabolites produced by fungi and exhibiting toxic activities, based on in vitro toxicity toward human and vertebrate cell lines with corresponding IC 50 values <1000 µmol/L. 9 The genus of the filamentous fungus Stachybotrys features a diversity of mycotoxins, primarily belonging to classes of macrocyclic trichothecenes (MCTs), atranones, and phenylspirodrimanes (PSDs). 10 Stachybotrys is one of the world's ten most feared fungi, 11 especially due to the cases

Toxin Production by Stachybotrys chartarum Genotype S on Different Culture Media

“…We also analyzed the produced amounts of Stl, since phenylspirodrimanes (e.g., stachybotrylactam, Stl) are constantly discussed as an immunosuppressive agent during the sicknesses caused by S. chartarum genotype S in humans and animals [ 27 , 37 , 47 ]. Jagels et al [ 27 ] detected higher amounts of phenylspirodrimanes than MCT on cellulose-containing building materials. This correlates to the current finding that the highest concentrations of Stl were detectable on CEL (5093.3 ± 429.0–7442.6 ± 3336.9 ng/g) ( Figure 3 ).…”

“…To address this, we have designed a study in which four genotype S strains were grown on five different media that are used on a routine basis for fungi identification [ 25 ]. Research on mycotoxin production on various building materials was done for MCT and phenylspirodrimanes [ 18 , 26 , 27 ]. Building materials and natural habitats of S. chartarum genotype S are too complex media to identify limiting nutritional factors.…”

Update on Stachybotrys chartarum—Black Mold Perceived as Toxigenic and Potentially Pathogenic to Humans

“…All the adverse effects of S. chartarum on human health are taken together in Table 2. [13,14,21,25,96,102,[113][114][115][116][117][118]; # MVOCs-microbial volatile organic compounds; ˆdocumented and the most possible; ** considered as related with proteins with emolysin and proteinase activities and stachylysin (hemolysin with hemolytic activity, localized in the inner cell wall of spores and mycelia).…”

In Vitro Metabolism of Phenylspirodrimanes Derived from the Indoor Fungus Stachybotrys

“…The chemical structure of th PSD backbone, as well as of the four PSDs, which were investigated in this study, ar shown in Figure 1. Depending on the substituents in positions R 3 and R 4 of the basic backbone, the formation of a ring structure is possible and, for example, the conversion to lactones can be observed in aqueous solutions for structures bearing two aldehyde groups at positions 4 and 5 [24,25]. Especially, PSDs with dialdehyde moieties are known to have immunosuppressive effects [26].…”