@article {663,
	title = {Arsenic methylation by micro-organisms isolated from sheepskin bedding materials},
	journal = {Human \& Experimental Toxicology},
	volume = {22},
	number = {6},
	year = {2003},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 696NKTimes Cited: 6Cited Reference Count: 48},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {325-334},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has been associated with the volatilization of arsenic, antimony or phosphorus compounds from infants{\textquoteright} bedding material by micro-organisms, the so-called {\textquoteright}toxic gas hypothesis{\textquoteright}. The volatilization of arsenic by aerobic micro-organisms isolated from new sheepskin bedding material, as well as on material used by a healthy infant and by an infant who perished of SIDS, was examined. Three fungi were isolated from a piece of sheepskin bedding material on which an infant perished of SIDS, which methylated arsenic to form trimethylarsenic(V) species, precursors to volatile trimethylarsine. These three fungi were identified as Scopulariopsis koningii, Fomitopsis pinicola and Penicillium gladioli by their 26S-ribosomal RNA polymerase chain reaction products. These fungi were not previously known to methylate arsenic. The volatilization of arsenic by these three fungi was then examined. Only R gladioli volatilized arsenic and only under conditions such that the production of sufficient trimethylarsine to be acutely toxic to an infant is unlikely. S. brevicaulis grew on the sheepskin bedding material and evolved a trace amount of trimethylarsine. Known human pathogens such as Mycobacterium neoaurum and Acinetobacter junii were isolated from used bedding.},
	keywords = {ANTIMONY COMPOUNDS, arsenic, BIOMETHYLATION, COT MATTRESSES, fungi, GAS, hypothesis, IDENTIFICATION, INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME, METHYLATION, SCOPULARIOPSIS-BREVICAULIS, SPECIATION, sudden infant death syndrome, toxic gas, TRIMETHYLARSINE, VOLATILIZATION},
	isbn = {0960-3271},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000183892800008},
	author = {Lehr, C. R. and Polishchuk, E. and Delisle, M. C. and Franz, C. and Cullen, W. R.}
}
@article {5000,
	title = {Antimony biomethylation by the wood rotting fungus Phaeolus schweinitzii},
	journal = {Applied Organometallic Chemistry},
	volume = {15},
	number = {6},
	year = {2001},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 435TUTimes Cited: 18Cited Reference Count: 27},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {473-480},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The wood rotting fungus, Phaeolus schweinitzii, efficiently transforms the antimony(III) compounds potassium antimony tartrate and antimony trioxide to nonvolatile dimethylantimony and trimethylantimony species, The organoantimony species were detected in potato dextrose broth media samples by using hydride generation-gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectroscopy (HG-GC-AAS). The average concentrations of trimethylantimony species after 40 days incubation with potassium antimony tartrate were approximately 35 mug, 155 mug and 520 mug Sb/l, for substrate concentrations of 10 mg, 100 mg and 1000 mg Sb/l respectively. Thus, the maximum yield of trimethylantimony species was approximately 0.4\%, When antimony trioxide (saturated solution, 4 mg Sb/l) was used as a substrate, the average concentration of trimethylantimony species was 150 mug Sb/l after 40 days. The HG-GC-AAS response for the dimethylantimony species was less than that for the trimethylantimony species; however, quantification was not possible because of the lack of an appropriate standard. In comparison, cultures of P, schweinitzii incubated with 1 mg As/I as sodium arsenite contained approximately 200 mug As/I as trimethylarsenic species, i.e. 20\% yield, Biomethylation of antimony(V) was inefficient: cultures contained only 3 mug Sb/l as trimethylantimony species after incubation with 100 mg Sb/l as potassium hexahydroxyantimonate, No organoantimony species were detected in control cultures that contained only medium and inorganic antimony compounds. The identities of the organoantimony species were confirmed by using CC-Mass Spectrometry, Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.},
	keywords = {ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY, CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY, chromatography-atomic, CONFIRMATION, CULTURES, dimethylantimony, GENERATION, GROWTH, HUMICOLA, hydride generation-gas, infant death syndrome (SIDS), INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME, MICROORGANISMS, Phaeolus schweinitzii, SCOPULARIOPSIS-BREVICAULIS, SPECIATION, sudden, trimethylantimony},
	isbn = {0268-2605},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000168897900005},
	author = {Andrewes, P. and Cullen, W. R. and Polishchuk, E. and Reimer, K. J.}
}
@article {4718,
	title = {Antimony biomethylation by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis: characterization of intermediates and the methyl donor},
	journal = {Chemosphere},
	volume = {41},
	number = {11},
	year = {2000},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 345WVTimes Cited: 15Cited Reference Count: 23},
	month = {Dec},
	pages = {1717-1725},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The filamentous fungus Scopulauiopsis brevicaulis biomethylates inorganic antimony(III) compounds to trimethylstibine, that can be detected in culture headspace gases. Dimethylantimony and trimethylantimony species have been detected in the medium of these cultures, but the origin of these species was controversial. We now show that the dimethylantimony species is a true intermediate on the pathway to trimethylstibine (rather than arising from trimethylstibine oxidation or as an analytical artifact) because no dimethylantimony species are formed on trimethylstibine oxidation, as determined by using HG-GC-AAS. Furthermore, the dimethylantimony and trimethylantimony species can be separated, by using anion exchange chromatography, and so the dimethylantimony species is not an analytical artifact, formed during the hydride generation process. The antimony biomethylation mechanism was further probed by measuring incorporation of the methyl group, from (CD3)-C-13-L-methionine and CD3-D-methionine, into methylantimony species and, for comparison, into methylarsenic species. The percentage incorporation of the labeled methyl group into methylarsenic and methylantimony species was not significantly different. The incorporation from (CD3)-C-13-L-methionine was 54\% and 47\% for antimony and arsenic, respectively. The incorporation from CD3-D-methionine was 20\% and 16\% for antimony and arsenic, respectively. It appears that the biomethylation of arsenic and antimony occur by very similar, perhaps identical, mechanisms. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.},
	keywords = {APIOTRICHUM-HUMICOLA, arsenic, dimethylantimony, GENERATION, GROWTH, INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME, INORGANIC ANTIMONY, METHIONINE, RELEVANCE, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, SPECIATION, trimethylantimony, TRIMETHYLARSINE, trimethylstibine, trimethylstibine oxidation},
	isbn = {0045-6535},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000088838900002},
	author = {Andrewes, P. and Cullen, W. R. and Polishchuk, E.}
}
@article {4719,
	title = {Arsenic and antimony biomethylation by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis: Interaction of arsenic and antimony compounds},
	journal = {Environmental Science \& Technology},
	volume = {34},
	number = {11},
	year = {2000},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 320GXTimes Cited: 21Cited Reference Count: 26},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {2249-2253},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The biomethylation of arsenic by the filamentous fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis is well documented, and the biomethylation of antimony by this fungus was recently established. However, in all the previous studies each metalloid was studied in isolation. Arsenic and antimony are often associated in the environment, and so an understanding of interactions between these elements is necessary. To this end, S. brevicaulis was grown in media containing mixtures of arsenic and antimony compounds in various proportions, and the principle nonvolatile biomethylation products (trimethylantimony and trimethylarsenic species) in the medium were quantified by using HG-GC-AAS. It was found that the yield of trimethylantimony compounds, obtained from the biomethylation of potassium antimony tartrate, was increased in the presence of sodium arsenite. The production of trimethylarsenic species from sodium arsenite was significantly inhibited in the presence of antimony (either as potassium antimony tartrate or antimony trioxide) at antimony concentrations too low to inhibit growth. This is although arsenic(III), in the absence of antimony, is much more readily biomethylated. That is 1.2-5.3\% of added arsenic is biomethylated by S. brevicaulis whereas only 0.0006-0.008\% of added antimony(III) is biomethylated over 1 month. Potassium hexahydroxyantimonate had no effect on arsenic biomethylation. The addition of potassium tartrate to cultures did not inhibit arsenic biomethylation. The biomethylation of sodium arsenate was not inhibited as much by antimony compounds. The inhibitory effect of antimony was found to be a function of the ratio of antimony to arsenic rather than the absolute amount of antimony.},
	keywords = {CONFIRMATION, CULTURES, HUMICOLA, HYDRIDE GENERATION, INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME, INORGANIC ANTIMONY, MICROORGANISMS, RELEVANCE, SPECIATION, SPECTROMETRY},
	isbn = {0013-936X},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000087394400040},
	author = {Andrewes, P. and Cullen, W. R. and Polishchuk, E.}
}
@article {4462,
	title = {Confirmation of the aerobic production of trimethylstibine by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis},
	journal = {Applied Organometallic Chemistry},
	volume = {13},
	number = {9},
	year = {1999},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 234HYTimes Cited: 23Cited Reference Count: 13},
	month = {Sep},
	pages = {659-664},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The filamentous fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis produces volatile trimethylstibine, found in the culture headspace, when grown in an antimony(III)-rich medium under aerobic conditions. The trimethylstibine was purged from cultures using a continuous flow of compressed air and trapped in a U-shaped tube containing Supelcoport SP 2100 at -78 degrees C. The trap contents were determined by using GC-ICP-MS methodology. Typically between 60 and 500 pg of trimethylstibine was trapped during sampling (12 h) from cultures containing 1000 mu g Sb ml(-1) as potassium antimony tartrate. The total production of trimethylstibine over 18 days of growth was estimated at 10 ng, Trimethylarsine was produced in greater quantities than trimethylstibine, even though no arsenic compounds were added to the medium, Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.},
	keywords = {ANTIMONY, BIOMETHYLATION, HUMICOLA, INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME, potassium antimony, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, tartrate, trimethylstibine},
	isbn = {0268-2605},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000082479700008},
	author = {Andrewes, P. and Cullen, W. R. and Polishchuk, E.}
}
@article {4183,
	title = {The production of methylated organoantimony compounds by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis},
	journal = {Applied Organometallic Chemistry},
	volume = {12},
	number = {12},
	year = {1998},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 149RQTimes Cited: 34Cited Reference Count: 37},
	month = {Dec},
	pages = {827-842},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {Cultures of the fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis were grown in antimony-rich media. Although volatile compounds of other elements were readily detected in the culture headspace, volatile antimony compounds were formed irreproducibly and at only ultratrace levels. In order to monitor the media for nonvolatile methylantimony compounds, a method of sample preparation was developed, based on solid-phase extraction. This enabled the separation of large quantities of soluble inorganic antimony species from trace amounts of organo-antimony compounds before speciation by HG-GC-AAS, By this methodology methylated antimony compounds were detected at concentrations of 0.8- 7.1 mu g Sbl(-1) in all media in which S. brevicaulis was grown in the presence of antimony(III) compounds. These methylantimony species were not detected in any of the nonliving or medium-only controls. Methylated compounds were not detected where S. brevicaulis was grown in the presence of antimony(V) compounds. This is the first study to show that antimony(III) compounds are biomethylated by S. brevicaulis under aerobic-only growth conditions. (C) 1998 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.},
	keywords = {ANTIMONY, APIOTRICHUM-HUMICOLA, ATOMIC-ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY, BIOMETHYLATION, biotransformation, GASES, GENERATION, hydride, HYDRIDE GENERATION, infant death syndrome (SIDS), INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME, LAKE-BIWA, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, SOLID-PHASE EXTRACTION, SPECIATION, sudden, volatile antimony, VOLATILE METAL, WASTE DEPOSITS},
	isbn = {0268-2605},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000077619500006},
	author = {Andrewes, P. and Cullen, W. R. and Feldmann, J. and Koch, I. and Polishchuk, E. and Reimer, E.}
}
