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Investigations of a neurotoxic oscillatorialean strain (Cyanophyceae) and its toxin. Isolation and characterization of homoanatoxin‐a
Author(s) -
Skulberg Olav M.,
Skulberg Randi,
Carmichael Wayne W.,
Andersen Rolf A.,
Matsunaga Shigeki,
Moore Richard E.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620110306
Subject(s) - toxin , biology , strain (injury) , microbiology and biotechnology , bioassay , cyanobacteria , toxicity , chemistry , bacteria , anatomy , genetics , organic chemistry
A neurotoxic cyanophyte (Oscillatoriales) was characterized biologically and chemically with respect to toxic properties. The organism, identified as Oscillatoria formosa (Phormidium formosum [Bory ex Gom.] comb.n. Anagnostidis et Komárek), was isolated and brought to pure culture. The dried biomass used in these investigations was grown from the strain NIVA‐CYA 92 in semicontinuous culture, giving yields of about 400 mg/d dry weight of the organism, and the toxic component was extracted and separated on C 18 Bond Elut ® cartridges followed by HPLC purification. The purified toxin was used for structure determination by low‐resolution MS and nuclear magnetic resonance. The toxin is a secondary amine alkaloid identified as methylene‐anatoxin‐a and was therefore named homoanatoxin‐a. It is a potent neuromuscular blocking agent (LD50 [i.p., mouse] 250 μg/kg). Toxicosis in the lethal dose range leads to severe body paralysis, convulsions, and death by respiratory arrest in 7 to 12 min. Experiments with rat phrenic nerve‐hemidiaphragm preparations demonstrated that the physiological effects of homoanatoxin‐a are related to those observed for d ‐tubocurarine.