Reductive dechlorination of methoxychlor and DDT by human intestinal bacterium Eubacterium limosum under anaerobic conditions.
Methoxychlor [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-methoxyphenyl)ethane], a substitute for 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT), is a compound of environmental concern because of potential long-term health risks related to its endocrine-disrupting and carcinogenic potency. In order to determine the metabolic fate of methoxychlor and DDT in the human intestinal gut, Eubacterium limosum (ATCC 8486), a strict anaerobe isolated from the human intestine that is capable of O-demethylation toward O-methylated isoflavones, was used as a model intestinal microbial organism. Under anaerobic incubation conditions, E. limosum completely transformed methoxychlor and DDT in 16 days. Based on gas chromatography-mass chromatography analyses, the metabolites produced from methoxychlor and DDT by E. limosum were confirmed to be 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-methoxyphenyl)ethane (methoxydichlor) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDD), respectively. This study suggests that E. limosum in the human intestinal gut might be a participant in the reductive dechlorination of methoxychlor to the more antiandrogenic active methoxydichlor.
Yim
You-Jin
YJ
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 500-712, Korea.
Seo
Jiyoung
J
Kang
Su-Il
SI
Ahn
Joong-Hoon
JH
Hur
Hor-Gil
HG
D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001711:Biotransformation; D002713:Chlorine / Q000378:metabolism; D003634:DDT / Q000378:metabolism*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005051:Eubacterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000378:metabolism*; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D008731:Methoxychlor / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007306:Insecticides; D002713:Chlorine; D003634:DDT; D008731:Methoxychlor