Poster Presentations for Elías Villalobos

Bgs Enzymatic Hydrolysis: A Recombinant Tool for Comprehensive Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Monitoring in Biological Models Elías Villalobos (Presenter) Kura Biotech

Poster #36c View Map

This poster will be attended on Thursday at 12:15 for 1 hour 15 minutes in the Exhibit Hall.

INTRODUCTION:
This literature review presents BGS, a recombinant beta-glucuronidase and arylsulfatase enzyme used for single-step hydrolysis in various applications. When incorporated into liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry quantification methods, it enables the detection of conjugated xenobiotics and steroid hormones in human and animal models.

OBJECTIVE:
Evaluate the incorporation of enzymatic hydrolysis for different applications in the space of metabolomics, exposomics, aiming to improve the sensitivity, signal-to-noise, and reproducibility.

METHOD:
The animal model studies incorporated BGS to measure steroid hormone fluctuations and gene expression changes in zebrafish(1), revealing endocrine-disrupting effects of environmental pollutants. Similarly, research in rat plasma and liver(2) presented an optimized method for steroid hormone profiling in tissue, broadening the available matrices to look into.

The human exposome studies explore using enzymatic hydrolysis to quantify total xenobiotic exposure, focusing on plasticizers, bisphenols, PFAS, and steroid hormones. These studies (3,4) demonstrated the effectiveness of enzymatic hydrolysis in different human matrices, accompanied by lower background noise due to its recombinant nature. Hence, incorporating an effective enzymatic tool ensures a more accurate measure of EDCs in human matrices.

RESULTS:
BGS has proven to be a reliable and versatile tool for exposome-scale biomonitoring and endocrine disruption research. Used across a range of biological matrices—including human plasma, urine, serum, reproductive fluids, breast milk, as well as rat liver and zebrafish embryos—BGS consistently delivered efficient and simultaneous deconjugation of glucuronide and sulfate metabolites. Compared to traditional enzymes like Helix pomatia, BGS offered greater purity, lower background interference, and broad substrate coverage, making it particularly well-suited for both high-throughput workflows and low-volume samples. Its use significantly improved the quantification of total xenobiotic and steroid levels, providing a more accurate understanding of chemical exposure and its biological effects.

CONCLUSION:
As exposome monitoring advances, enzymatic hydrolysis can become a crucial step, facilitating cross-species comparisons, streamlining workflows, and enabling high-throughput analyses. Its integration with conjugated biomarker research can enhance method development in environmental health, toxicology, and clinical diagnostics, ensuring precise and consistent detection of chemical exposures and their effects.

REFERENCES:
1. Maria Revenikioti, 2023, An Investigation of the Link Between Endocrine Disruption and Developmental Neurotoxicity Induced by Environmental Pollutants In Zebrafish Embryos.
2. Sara Evangelista et. al, Talanta, 2024, 266, 124981.
3. Yasmin Fareed et al, Exposome, 2022, 2(1), osac008.
4. Jaye Marchiandi et al, Environ. Sci. Technol. 2024, 58, 46, 20352–20365.