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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, July 2001, p. 3269-3274, Vol. 67, No. 7
0099-2240/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/AEM.67.7.3269-3274.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Toxic-Metabolite-Producing Bacteria and Fungus in an Indoor Environment

J. Peltola,1,* M. A. Andersson,1 T. Haahtela,2 H. Mussalo-Rauhamaa,2 F. A. Rainey,3 R. M. Kroppenstedt,4 R. A. Samson,5 and M. S. Salkinoja-Salonen1

Division of Microbiology, Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki,1 and Clinic for Indoor Air Health Problems, Department of Dermatology and Allergic Diseases, Helsinki University Central Hospital, FIN-00250 Helsinki,2 Finland; Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 708033; Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany4; and Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, 3740 AG Baarn, The Netherlands5

Received 28 November 2000/Accepted 15 April 2001

Toxic-metabolite-emitting microbes were isolated from the indoor environment of a building where the occupant was suffering serious building-related ill-health symptoms. Toxic substances soluble in methanol and inhibitory to spermatozoa at <10 µg (dry weight) ml-1 were found from six bacterial isolates and one fungus. The substances from isolates of Bacillus simplex and from isolates belonging to the actinobacterial genera Streptomyces and Nocardiopsis were mitochondriotoxic. These substances dissipated the mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta psi ) of boar spermatozoa. The substances from the Streptomyces isolates also swelled the mitochondria. The substances from isolates of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai and Bacillus pumilus damaged the cell membrane barrier function of sperm cells.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Microbiology, Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Phone: 358-(0)9-19159305. Fax: 358-(0)9-19159322. E-mail: joanna.peltola{at}helsinki.fi.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, July 2001, p. 3269-3274, Vol. 67, No. 7
0099-2240/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/AEM.67.7.3269-3274.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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