title: Stachybotrys mycotoxins: from culture extracts to dust samples.
abstract: The filamentous fungus Stachybotrys chartarum is known for its toxic metabolites and has been associated with serious health problems, including mycotoxicosis, among occupants of contaminated buildings. Here, we present results from a case study, where an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for known and tentatively identified compounds characterized via UHPLC-quadruple time-of-flight (QTOF) screening of fungal culture extracts, wall scrapings and reference standards. The UHPLC-MS/MS method was able to identify 12 Stachybotrys metabolites, of which four could be quantified based on authentic standards and a further six estimated based on similarity to authentic standards. Samples collected from walls contaminated by S. chartarum in a water-damaged building showed that the two known chemotypes, S and A, coexisted. More importantly, a link between mycotoxin concentrations found on contaminated surfaces and in settled dust was made. One dust sample, collected from a water-damaged room, contained 10 pg/cm(2) macrocyclic trichothecenes (roridin E). For the first time, more than one spirocyclic drimane was detected in dust. Spirocyclic drimanes were detected in all 11 analysed dust samples and in total amounted to 600 pg/cm(2) in the water-damaged room and 340 pg/cm(2) in rooms adjacent to the water-damaged area. Their wide distribution in detectable amounts in dust suggested they could be good candidates for exposure biomarkers. Graphical abstract Stachybotrys growing on a gypsum board, and some of the compounds it produces.
authors.affiliation: Section for Eukaryotic Biotechnology, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Došen
authors.affiliation: Section for Eukaryotic Biotechnology, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Birgitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Section for Eukaryotic Biotechnology, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christopher B W
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Phippen
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Nils Koppels Allé, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Geo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clausen
authors.affiliation: Section for Eukaryotic Biotechnology, Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark. kfn@bio.dtu.dk.
authors.forename: Kristian Fog
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013191:Stachybotrys / Q000737:chemistry*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004391:Dust; D009183:Mycotoxins; C038398:stachybotrotoxin
keywords: Dust; Mycotoxin; QTOF; QqQ; Spirocyclic drimane; Stachybotrys