Genetic information of living cells is encoded by the specific arrangement of nucleobases in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Even minor changes or modifications of these nucleobases, favored by many reactive sites, can significantly affect correct replication and DNA integrity leading to severe toxic effects. Analyzing these DNA modifications is highly complex and often requires non-specific assays for DNA damage or 32 P -postlab...

Toxic fungal secondary metabolites, referred to as mycotoxins, emerge in moldy food and feed and constitute a potent but often underestimated health threat for humans and animals. They are structurally diverse and can cause diseases after dietary intake even in low concentrations. To elucidate cellular responses and identify cellular targets of mycotoxins, a bottom-up proteomics approach was used. We investigated the effects o...

During their daily lives humans are often confronted with sustained cognitive activities (SCA) leading to state fatigue, a psychobiological state characterized by a decrease in cognitive and/or motor performance and/or an increase in perception of fatigue. It was recently shown that performing SCA can impair overground dual-task gait performance in older adults, but it is currently unknown whether there is a task- and/or age-s...

Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is a highly hepatotoxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus species. The compound is mainly metabolized in the liver and its metabolism varies between species. The present study quantified relevant AFB 1 - metabolites formed by mouse, rat, and human primary hepatocytes after treatment with 1 µM and 10 µM AFB 1 . The use of liquid chromatographic separation coupled with tandem mass spectrom...

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites which exhibit toxic effects in low concentrations. Several mycotoxins are described as carcinogenic or immunosuppressive, but their underlying modes of action especially on molecular level have not yet been entirely elucidated. Metabolic profiling as part of the omics methods is a powerful tool to study the toxicity and the mode of action of xenobiotics. The use of hydrophilic intera...

Summary During a field experiment applying broiler manure for fertilization of agricultural land, we detected viable Clostridioides (also known as Clostridium ) difficile in broiler faeces, manure, dust and fertilized soil. A large diversity of toxigenic C . difficile isolates was recovered, including PCR ribotypes common from human disease. Genomic relatedness of C . difficile isolates from dust and from soil, recovered more...