The widespread use of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH) as pesticides has raised environmental concerns due to their persistence and toxicity. Addressing the pressing need for effective bioremediation strategies, this study explores the effects of α-, β-, δ-, and ε-HCH isomers on the growth, hormonal changes, physiological parameters and bioaccumulation in Alnus glutinosa saplings (1-year-old and 2-year-old) and bacterial communities in polluted soil. A. glutinosa saplings not only withstanded HCH exposure but also enhanced the remediation efficiency by 6.8-24.4%, suggesting an acceleration of pollutant breakdown likely mediated by root exudates positively affecting the soil microbiome. Interestingly, 1-year-old saplings demonstrated greater remediation efficiency post-pruning than unpruned 2-year-old saplings, despite the latter having a larger root biomass. The hormonal analysis indicated that HCH presence led to a reduction in abscisic acid (ABA) and an increase in jasmonic acid (JA), with the magnitude of changes being age-dependent. Salicylic acid (SA) levels increased 1-year-old and decreased in 2-year-old saplings under HCH stress. Moreover, a higher presence of lin-degrading genes in the rhizosphere of treated saplings compared to controls confirmed ongoing biodegradation processes. The outcomes help to better understand the processes involved in degradation of persistent pesticides in soil. The mechanism of in-plant isomerization and the identification of metabolites should be the focus of future research.

• Klíčová slova
• Alder tree, HCH, Pesticide, Phytoremediation, Rhizobiome,
• MeSH
• biodegradace * MeSH
• chlorované uhlovodíky metabolismus   MeSH
• cyklopentany metabolismus   MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan metabolismus   MeSH
• kořeny rostlin metabolismus   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• kyselina abscisová metabolismus   MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu * metabolismus   MeSH
• olše * mikrobiologie   MeSH
• oxylipiny metabolismus   MeSH
• pesticidy * metabolismus   MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• půdní mikrobiologie * MeSH
• rhizosféra * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chlorované uhlovodíky MeSH
• cyklopentany MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan MeSH
• jasmonic acid MeSH Prohlížeč
• kyselina abscisová MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu * MeSH
• oxylipiny MeSH
• pesticidy * MeSH
• půda MeSH

The hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCH) are long-banned pesticides. Even though their use has been prohibited for decades, their presence in the environment is still reported worldwide. Wetland + is a registered trademark of the remedial treatment technology consisting of an aerobic sedimentary tank, a permeable reactive barrier, a biosorption system, and an aerobic wetland. This proven method combines a reductive treatment known from PRBs with the natural wetland self-cleaning processes. The average efficiency of the system is 96.8% for chlorobenzenes (ClB) and 81.7% for HCH, during the first 12 months of the system operation. The presence of the genes encoding enzymes involved in the degradation of the HCH compounds indicates that the removal of HCH and ClB occurs not only by chemical removal but also through aerobic and anaerobic combining biodegradation. Changes in abundance and the composition of the diatom community were found to be suitable indicators of the water quality and of the impact of the Wetland + operation on the water ecosystem. The system's annual operation exhibited a markedly higher number of diatom species in the closing profiles of the Ostrovský Creek, the Wetland + effluent recipient.

• MeSH
• biodegradace MeSH
• biodiverzita MeSH
• ekosystém * MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan * chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• mokřady MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• hexachlorcyklohexan * MeSH

Decades after most countries banned hexachlorocyclohexane, HCH isomers still pollute the environment. Many studies described HCH as a pro-diabetic factor; nevertheless, the effect of HCH isomers on pancreatic beta-cells remains unexplored. This study investigated the effects of a one-month exposure to α-HCH, β-HCH, and γ-HCH on protein expression in human (NES2Y) and rat (INS1E) pancreatic beta-cell lines. α-HCH and γ-HCH increased proinsulin and insulin levels in INS1E cells, while β-HCH showed the opposite trend. α-HCH altered the expression of PKA, ATF3, and PLIN2. β-HCH affected the expression of GLUT1, GLUT2, PKA, ATF3, p-eIF2α, ATP-CL, and PLIN2. γ-HCH altered the expression of PKA, ATF3, PLIN2, PLIN5, and IDH1. From the tested proteins, PKA, ATF3, and PLIN-2 were the most sensitive to HCH exposure and have the potential to be used as biomarkers.

• Klíčová slova
• ATP citrate lyase, Beta-cells, Diabetes, Hexachlorocyclohexane, Insulin, Perilipin-2,
• MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan * toxicita   metabolismus   MeSH
• isomerie MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí * toxicita   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane MeSH Prohlížeč
• beta-hexachlorocyclohexane MeSH Prohlížeč
• hexachlorcyklohexan * MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí * MeSH

The study of the soil microbial community represents an important step in better understanding the environmental context. Therefore, biological characterisation and physicochemical integration are keys when defining contaminated sites. Fungi play a fundamental role in the soil, by providing and supporting ecological services for ecosystems and human wellbeing. In this research, 52 soil fungal taxa were isolated from in situ pilot reactors installed to a contaminated site in Czech Republic with a high concentration of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH). Among the identified isolates, 12 strains were selected to evaluate their tolerance to different isomers of HCH by using specific indices (Rt:Rc; T.I.) and to test their potential in xenobiotic biotransformation. Most of the selected taxa was not significantly affected by exposure to HCH, underlining the elevated tolerance of all the tested fungal taxa, and different metabolic intermediates of HCH dechlorination were observed. The oxidative stress responses to HCH for two selected species, Penicillium simplicissimum and Trichoderma harzianum, were investigated in order to explore their toxic responses and to evaluate their potential functioning in bioremediation of contaminated environments. This research suggests that the isolated fungal species may provide opportunities for new eco-friendly, integrated and cost-effective solutions for environmental management and remediation, considering their efficient adaptation to stressful conditions.

• Klíčová slova
• Bioremediation, Contaminated sites, HCH, Oxidative stress responses, Persistent organic pollutants, Soil fungi, Tolerance,
• MeSH
• biodegradace MeSH
• biotransformace * MeSH
• ekosystém MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• houby metabolismus   MeSH
• isomerie MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• oxidační stres MeSH
• Penicillium metabolismus   MeSH
• půda MeSH
• půdní mikrobiologie * MeSH
• tolerance léku MeSH
• Trichoderma metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• hexachlorcyklohexan MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu MeSH
• půda MeSH

LinA is the first enzyme of the microbial degradation pathway of a chlorinated insecticide, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), and mediates the dehydrochlorination of α-, γ-, and δ-HCH. Its two variants, LinA type 1 and LinA type 2, which differ at 10 out of 156 amino acid residues, have been described. Their activities for the metabolism of different HCH isomers differ considerably but overall are high for γ-HCH, moderate for α-HCH, low for δ-HCH, and lacking for β-HCH. Here, we describe the characterization of a new variant of this enzyme, LinA type 3, whose gene was identified from the metagenome of an HCH-contaminated soil sample. Its deduced primary structure in the region spanning amino acid residues 1 to 147 of the protein exhibits 17 and 12 differences from LinA type 1 and LinA type 2, respectively. In addition, the residues GIHFAPS, present at the region spanning residues 148 to 154 in both LinA type 1 and LinA type 2, are deleted in LinA type 3.The activity of LinA type 3 for the metabolism of δ-HCH is several orders of magnitude higher than that of LinA type 1 or LinA type 2 and can be useful for improvement of the metabolism of δ-HCH.

• MeSH
• biotransformace MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan metabolismus   MeSH
• insekticidy metabolismus   MeSH
• kinetika MeSH
• lyasy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• metagenom * MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• půda * MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
• sekvenční homologie aminokyselin MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• dehydrochlorinases MeSH Prohlížeč
• delta-hexachlorocyclohexane MeSH Prohlížeč
• hexachlorcyklohexan MeSH
• insekticidy MeSH
• lyasy MeSH
• půda * MeSH

Hydrophobic organic contaminants in soils may pose toxicity or transfer to food chains after their uptake to soil biota. However, uptake data for earthworms are usually limited, as: (a) only fixed exposure times are studied instead of whole uptake kinetics and (b) studies including compounds with different environmental properties and more than two soils of different properties are quite rare. In our study, five persistent organic pollutants (phenanthrene, pyrene, lindane, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p'-DDT), and polychlorinated biphenyl congener No. 153 (PCB 153)) were added to six soils of a wide range of soil properties. Detailed kinetics of uptake to earthworms Eisenia fetida were measured. Results indicated that an equilibrium of concentrations for p,p'-DDT and PCB 153 was reached after 11 days of exposure in all soils. Uptake of phenanthrene, pyrene, and lindane was strongly influenced by the decrease in concentrations in the soils, resulting in peak-shaped accumulation curves. Only in soils with the highest total organic carbon content (7.9 and 20.2%), the equilibrium of lindane concentrations was achieved (after 17 and 5 days of exposure, respectively). We recommend calculating bioaccumulation factors as a ratio of the uptake and elimination rate constants to precise the risk assessment.

• Klíčová slova
• Bioaccumulation, Bioavailability, Earthworm, POPs, Soil organic carbon,
• MeSH
• DDT chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• insekticidy chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• kinetika MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• Oligochaeta metabolismus   MeSH
• organické látky chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• polychlorované bifenyly chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• polycyklické sloučeniny analýza   MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• statistické modely MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl MeSH Prohlížeč
• DDT MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan MeSH
• insekticidy MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí MeSH
• organické látky MeSH
• polychlorované bifenyly MeSH
• polycyklické sloučeniny MeSH
• půda MeSH

Artificial soil is an important standard medium and reference material for soil ecotoxicity bioassays. Recent studies have documented the significant variability of their basic properties among different laboratories. Our study investigated (i) the variability of ten artificial soils from different laboratories by means of the fate, extractability and bioavailability of phenanthrene and lindane, and (ii) the relationships of these results to soil properties and ageing. Soils were spiked with (14)C-phenanthrene and (14)C-lindane, and the total residues, fractions extractable by hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, and the fractions of phenanthrene mineralizable by bacteria were determined after 1, 14, 28 and 56 days. Significant temporal changes in total residues and extractable and mineralizable fractions were observed for phenanthrene, resulting in large differences between soils after 56 days. Phenanthrene mineralization by indigenous peat microorganisms was suggested as the main driver of that, outweighing the effects of organic matter. Lindane total residues and extractability displayed much smaller changes over time and smaller differences between soils related to organic matter. Roughly estimated, the variability between the artificial soils was comparable to natural soils. The implications of such variability for the results of toxicity tests and risk assessment decisions should be identified. We also suggested that the sterilization of artificial soils might reduce unwanted variability.

• Klíčová slova
• Artificial soils, Bioavailability, Biodegradation, Extractability, Lindane, Phenanthrene,
• MeSH
• fenantreny chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• radioizotopy uhlíku MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• fenantreny MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu MeSH
• phenanthrene MeSH Prohlížeč
• půda MeSH
• radioizotopy uhlíku MeSH

Sediments of the Elbe River have been extremely polluted by contaminants originating from previous large-scale hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) production and the application of γ-HCH (lindane) in its catchment in the second half of the twentieth century. In order to gain knowledge on bioaccumulation processes at lower trophic levels, field investigations of HCHs in macroinvertebrates were carried out along the longitudinal profile of the Elbe and tributary. Among the sites studied, concentrations in macroinvertebrates ranged within five orders of magnitude (0.01-100 μg/kg). In general, lower values of HCH isomers were observed at all Czech sites (mostly <1 μg/kg) compared with those in Germany. At the most contaminated site, Spittelwasser brook (a tributary of the Mulde), extremely high concentrations were measured (up to 234 μg/kg α-HCH and 587 μg/kg β-HCH in Hydropsychidae). In contrast, the Obříství site, though also influenced by HCH production facilities, showed only negligibly elevated values (mostly <1 μg/kg). Results showed that fairly high levels of α-HCH and β-HCH compared to γ-HCH can still be detected in aquatic environments of the Elbe catchment, and these concentrations are decreasing over time to a lesser extent than γ-HCH. Higher HCH concentrations in sediments in the springtime are considered to be the result of erosion and transport processes during and after spring floods, and lower concentrations at sites downstream are thought to be caused by the time lapse involved in the transportation of contaminated particles from upstream. In addition, comparison with fish (bream) data from the literature revealed no increase in tissue concentrations between invertebrates and fish.

• MeSH
• bezobratlí metabolismus   MeSH
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• chemické znečištění vody statistika a číselné údaje   MeSH
• geologické sedimenty chemie   MeSH
• hexachlorbenzen analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí * MeSH
• potravní řetězec MeSH
• řeky chemie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Německo MeSH
• Názvy látek
• alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane MeSH Prohlížeč
• beta-hexachlorocyclohexane MeSH Prohlížeč
• chemické látky znečišťující vodu MeSH
• hexachlorbenzen MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan MeSH

Soil organic matter is used to extrapolate the toxicity and bioavailability of organic pollutants between different soils. However, it has been shown that other factors such as microbial activity are crucial. The aim of this study was to investigate if sterilization can reduce differences in the fate and bioavailability of organic pollutants between different soils. Three natural soils with increasing total organic carbon (TOC) content were collected and three artificial soils were prepared to obtain similar TOCs. Soils were sterilized and spiked with (14)C-pyrene and (14)C-lindane. Total (14)C radioactivity, HPCD extractability, and bioaccumulation in Eisenia fetida were measured over 56 days. When compared to non-sterile soils, differences between the natural and artificial soils and the influence of soil-contaminant contact time were generally reduced in the sterile soils (especially with middle TOC). The results indicate the possibility of using sterile soils as "the worst case scenario" in soil ecotoxicity studies.

• MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• monitorování životního prostředí MeSH
• Oligochaeta metabolismus   MeSH
• půda MeSH
• pyreny analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• hexachlorcyklohexan MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu MeSH
• půda MeSH
• pyreny MeSH

Alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH), a part of the HCH pesticide mixture, is one of the most widespread persistent organic pollutants. Interestingly, only limited number of studies addressed the toxicity of alpha-HCH and the effects of its individual optical isomers have not been investigated in detail. In the present study we separated two alpha-HCH enantiomers by preparative HPLC and studied their activities towards androgen receptor (AR) using the MDA-kb2 cell line stably transfected with the luciferase reporter gene under the control of AR. There was no direct effect of alpha-HCH on AR but both isomers significantly suppressed the activity of AR in co-exposure with the natural ligand dihydrotestosterone in a concentration-dependent manner. One of the enantiomers appeared to be more active at lower concentration, which was also supported by the molecular modeling calculations with AR that showed a slight difference in estimated free energy of binding and inhibition constant between two enantiomers. Although studies with other pesticides demonstrated strong enantioselective differences in toxicity, the present research shows rather minor differences in modulations of AR by both alpha-HCH enantiomers. For the first time, enantioselective effects of alpha-HCH were demonstrated and the results suggest interaction with multiple regulatory events controlling the AR activity. Full elucidation of the toxicity mechanism will require further research.

• MeSH
• androgenní receptory metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• dihydrotestosteron metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan chemie   metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• isomerie MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• luciferasy MeSH
• reportérové geny MeSH
• transfekce MeSH
• vysokoúčinná kapalinová chromatografie MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane MeSH Prohlížeč
• androgenní receptory MeSH
• AR protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• dihydrotestosteron MeSH
• hexachlorcyklohexan MeSH
• luciferasy MeSH