Biochemical and physicochemical processes contributing to the removal of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pharmaceuticals by the aquatic ascomycete Phoma sp. UHH 5-1-03.

The environmentally widespread micropollutants bisphenol A (BPA), carbamazepine (CBZ), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), diclofenac (DF), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), technical nonylphenol (t-NP) and triclosan (TCS) were used to assess the potential of the laccase-producing freshwater ascomycete Phoma sp. strain UHH 5-1-03 for micropollutant removal and to provide quantitative insights into the mechanisms involved. Biotransformation rates observed with whole fungal cells followed the rank order EE2 ≫ BPA > TCS > t-NP > DF > SMX > CBZ. Biosorption onto fungal mycelia was prominent for BPA, EE2, TCS and t-NP and insignificant for CBZ, DF and SMX. Enzymatic removal rates investigated with cell-free, laccase-containing culture supernatants of Phoma sp. followed the rank order EE2 > BPA > DF > t-NP > TCS and were insignificant for SMX and CBZ. Mass spectrometry-assisted investigations addressing metabolite formation from unlabelled and (13)C6-labelled DF and SMX yielded DF metabolites indicating hydroxylation, cyclisation and decarboxylation reactions, as well as oxidative coupling typical for laccase reactions. For SMX, several products characterised by lower molecular masses than the parent compound were found, and indications for deamination and formamide formation were obtained. Summarising, the obtained results suggest that the extracellular laccase of Phoma sp. largely contributes to fungal biotransformation of EE2, BPA, DF, TCS and t-NP, together with cell-associated enzymes such as, e.g. cytochrome P450 monooxygenases suggested by the appearance of hydroxylated metabolites from DF. Laccase does not seem to play any role in the metabolisation of SMX and CBZ, where yet to be identified cell-associated enzymes have to be considered instead.