Glucose–sulfate conjugates as a new phase II metabolite formed by aquatic crustaceans

We found that aquatic crustaceans, decapoda; atyidae (Caridina multidentata, Neocaridina denticulate, and Paratya compressa), metabolize pyrene to a new conjugation product. The results of deconjugation treatments indicated that glucose and sulfate combined with 1-hydroxypyrene. Further analysis by LC/ESI-MS/MS showed that the molecular weight of the product was 460 (m/z 459; deprotonated ion), and that it has a glucose–sulfate moiety (m/z 241; fragment ion). These results indicated that the new metabolite was the glucose–sulfate conjugate of 1-hydroxypyrene. The glucose–sulfate conjugate is a phase II product that has not been reported previously from any organism. Several studies have demonstrated that sulfation is an important pathway for metabolism of xenobiotics in aquatic invertebrates. Thus, glucose–sulfate conjugates may add an important signal for excretion or sequestration of xenobiotics for aquatic invertebrates.