Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species. ZEN mainly appears in cereals and related foodstuffs, causing reproductive disorders in animals, due to its xenoestrogenic effects. The main reduced metabolites of ZEN are α-zearalenol (α-ZEL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZEL). Similarly to ZEN, ZELs can also activate estrogen receptors; moreover, α-ZEL is the most potent endocrine disruptor among these three compounds. Serum albumin is the most abundant plasma protein in the circulation; it affects the tissue distribution and elimination of several drugs and xenobiotics. Although ZEN binds to albumin with high affinity, albumin-binding of α-ZEL and β-ZEL has not been investigated. In this study, the complex formation of ZEN, α-ZEL, and β-ZEL with human (HSA), bovine (BSA), porcine (PSA), and rat serum albumins (RSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, affinity chromatography, thermodynamic studies, and molecular modeling. Our main observations are as follows: (1) ZEN binds with higher affinity to albumins than α-ZEL and β-ZEL. (2) The low binding affinity of β-ZEL toward albumin may result from its different binding position or binding site. (3) The binding constants of the mycotoxin-albumin complexes significantly vary with the species. (4) From the thermodynamic point of view, the formation of ZEN-HSA and ZEN-RSA complexes are similar, while the formation of ZEN-BSA and ZEN-PSA complexes are markedly different. These results suggest that the toxicological relevance of ZEN-albumin and ZEL-albumin interactions may also be species-dependent.

The type II classic cadherin subfamily contains a number of extensively studied genes (cdh6, cdh8, cdh11); however, the expression and function of the other members have only been partially described. Here we employed reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization to characterize cortical and hippocampal expression of all type II cadherins (with the exception of the nonneural Cdh5) in the developing and adult mouse brain. Many of these genes have ubiquitous mRNA distribution patterns throughout development, indicating high functional redundancy, which might be necessary for safe production of the strictly laminated structure of these regions. A few of the genes examined, however, exhibit a unique spatiotemporal pattern of expression, particularly during cortical development, indicating a potentially specific function. In the developing and adult hippocampus, almost all of these genes are strongly expressed in glutamatergic neurons of the CA1-CA3 pyramidal cell layer and the granular layer of the dentate gyrus. In contrast, there are significant expression differences within the GABAergic cells of the adult hippocampus. Our results indicate that selective expression of type II cadherins may generate a flexible cell-adhesion machinery for developing neurons to selectively bind to each other, but can also provide a high level of security due to the multiple overlaps in the expression domains.

The release of pharmacologically active compounds (PhACs) into aquatic ecosystems poses an environmental risk resulting in a chronic exposure of non-target organisms. A great variety of PhACs, of generally low concentrations, and the complicated sample preparation, makes circumstantial the accurate detection and quantification. Additionally, there is little information published about the spatiotemporal variation of the PhAC load in a larger catchment area utilised for touristic purposes. In addition to the natural biotic and abiotic changes, the seasonal variation of tourism also has a dramatic impact on water quality and the natural ecosystem in larger catchment areas. Therefore, our aim was to develop a reliable solid-phase extraction (SPE)-supercritical fluid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (SFC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous multi-residue analysis of drugs to reveal the spatiotemporal changes in the PhAC contaminations in the waters of an important touristic region, the catchment area of the largest shallow lake in Central Europe, Lake Balaton (Hungary). The environmental application of the developed method revealed 69 out of the traced 134 chemical compounds, including 15 PhACs, which were detected from natural waters for the first time. Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) loads have a major role in the PhAC contamination of the studied area; at the same time, the mass tourism-induced PhAC contamination was also detectable. Furthermore, the impact of tourism was indicated by elevated concentrations of recreational substances (e.g., 3 caffeine and illicit drugs) in the touristic season affecting the water quality of this important summer holiday destination.