CYCLIC PEPTIDE HEPATOTOXINS FROM FRESH-WATER CYANOBACTERIAL (BLUE-GREEN-ALGAE) WATERBLOOMS COLLECTED IN CENTRAL CHINA

Toxic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) waterblooms have been found in several Chinese water bodies since studies began there in 1984. Waterbloom samples for this study contained Anabaena circinalis, Microcystis aeruginosa and Oscillatoria sp. Only those waterblooms dominated by Microcystis aeruginosa were toxic by the intraperitoneal (i.p.) mouse bioassay. Signs of poisoning were the same as with known hepatotoxic cyclic peptide microcystins. One toxic fraction was isolated from each Microcystis aeruginosa sample. Two hepatotoxic peptides were purified from each of the fractions by high-performance liquid chromatography and identified by amino acid analysis followed by low and high resolution fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS). LD50 i.p. mouse values for the two toxins were 245-mu-g/kg (Toxin A) and 53-mu-g/g (Toxin B). Toxin content in the cells was 0.03 to 3.95 mg/g (Toxin A) and 0.18 to 3.33 mg/kg (Toxin B). The amino acid composition of Toxin A was alanine [1], arginine [2], glutamic acid [1] and beta-methylaspartic acid [1]; for Toxin B it was the same, except one of the arginines was replaced with a leucine. Low- and high-resolution FAB-MS showed that the molecular weights were 1,037 m/z (Toxin A) and 994 m/z (Toxin B), with formulas of C49H76O12N13 (Toxin A) and C49H75O12N10 (Toxin B). It was concluded that Toxin A is microcystin-RR and Toxin B is microcystin-LR, both known cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxins isolated from cyanobacteria in other parts of the world. Sodium borohydride reduction of microcystin-RR yielded dihydro-microcystin-RR (m/z = 1,039), an important intermediate in the preparation of tritium-labeled toxin for metabolism and fate studies.

五步蛇出血毒结构和功能的研究

通过Sephadex-G-100分子筛层析，QAE-Sephadex-A-50阴离子交换层析和两次Poly-buffer-exchanger离子交换层析，分得两个出血毒蛋白，分别称之为HF-1和HF-2。通过碱性PAGE，等电聚焦（IEF），SDS-PAGE和线性密度梯度PAGE，证实两出血蛋白为电泳均一。它们均为三聚体蛋白，分别含有三个相同亚基。HF-1含3 x 113个氨基酸位点，而HF-2含3 x 104个氨基酸位点。EDTA可抑制两者的活性，而碘代乙酸部份抑制HF-2的活性而不抑制HF-1的活性。从氨基酸组成分析发现，HF-1不含有Cys，而HF-1的激光喇曼光谱也没有Cys的特征峰，这在出血毒中是少见的。HF-1和HF-2均属#alpha#－纤溶酶类，同时兼有出血活性和蛋白水解酶活性。还实验了出血HF-2对血小板聚焦的抑制活性，证实HF-2抑制血小板聚集依赖于其对血浆纤原的降解。

A colorimetric assay for screening microcystin class compounds in aquatic systems

Secondary metabolites produced by water-blooming cyanobacteria in eutrophic waters include some potent hepatotoxins, These compounds also have tumour-promoting properties, attributable to their inhibition and activation of protein phosphatases and kinases respectively. The inhibitory effect of these toxins on protein phosphatases have been employed in a commonly used radiometric assay, involving the use of a P-32-labeled substrate, for the detection and quantitation of these compounds. This paper investigates and describes a colorimetric method in which the activity of protein phosphatase 2A is determined by measuring the rate of colour production from the release of yellow p-nitrophenol using p-nitrophenyl phosphate as the substrate. Results of this study suggest that the colorimetric protein phosphatase inhibition assay is a simple, inexpensive tool for screening substances that may have tumour-promoting characteristics in aquatic systems. The detection limit of the colorimetric method is comparable to the radiometric assay. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

NMR-based metabonomic study on the subacute toxicity of aristolochic acid in rats

The subacute toxicity of aristolochic acid (AA) was investigated by H-1 NMR spectroscopic and pattern recognition (PR)-based metabonomic methods. Model toxins were used to enable comparisons of the urinary profiles from rats treated with known toxicants and AA at various time intervals. Urinary H-1 NMR spectra were data-processed and analyzed by pattern recognition method. The result of visual comparison of the spectra showed that AA caused a renal proximal tubular and papillary lesion and a slight hepatic impair. Pattern recognition analysis indicated that the renal proximal tubule lesion was the main damage induced by AA, and the renal toxicity induced by AA was a progressive course with the accumulation of dosage by monitoring the toxicological processes from onset, development and part-recovery. These results were also supported by the conventional clinical biochemical parameters.

钠离子通道类毒素的细胞毒性和检测方法的研究

赤潮毒素广泛存在于各种赤潮藻和各类海洋生物中，不仅对渔业、养殖业危害甚大，而且还直接威胁着人类的生存健康。其中，离子通道类毒素是一类毒性较高的毒素。除一些赤潮藻可以产生此类毒素之外，海洋中还存在某些生物也能够产生离子通道类毒素。为进一步阐明钠离子通道类毒素对细胞的毒性效应机制，本文选取一株小鼠神经母细胞瘤（Neuro-2a）作为受试对象，研究了四种钠离子通道类毒素STX、GTX1,4、GTX2,3、TTX对Neuro-2a细胞的毒性影响机制，并利用STX和TTX，建立了钠离子通道类毒素的细胞毒性检测方法，且应用此方法检测了贝体内、藻体内的毒素含量，进一步与小鼠法和HPLC法进行了比较。 研究表明：STX、GTX1,4、GTX2,3、TTX四种钠离子通道类毒素在长时间内均会对Neuro-2a细胞的增殖产生不利影响。在短时间（24h）内，以上各毒素均没有抑制Neuro-2a细胞的增殖，但是48h后，以上各毒素对Neuro-2a细胞的增殖均产生了抑制作用，且随着各毒素剂量的增加，细胞增殖受抑制程度也表现出一定程度的增高，二者呈剂量-反应关系。STX、GTX1,4、GTX2,3、TTX对Neuro-2a细胞的48h半数抑制浓度（IC50）分别为：250ng/ml、1000ng/ml、1300ng/ml、700ng/ml。本论文还首次研究了STX、GTX1,4、GTX2,3、TTX四种钠离子通道类毒素对Neuro-2a细胞内酶活性的影响。研究发现，STX、GTX1,4、GTX2,3、TTX四种钠离子通道阻断剂类毒素均能够影响Neuro-2a细胞内Na+-K+-ATP酶和乙酰胆碱酯酶TChE的活性。当各毒素作用24h后，Neuro-2a细胞内Na+-K+-ATP酶和乙酰胆碱酯酶TChE的活力均会受到抑制，并且随着各毒素剂量的增加，两种酶的活性也逐渐降低。可见，钠离子通道阻断剂类毒素能对细胞内酶的功能产生一定的影响，此影响连同阻断细胞膜钠离子通道，造成离子流的失衡作用，进一步对细胞产生毒性效应。在对细胞膜通透性的研究中发现，上述四种钠离子通道阻断剂类毒素各剂量组细胞培养液乳酸脱氢酶LDH的漏出率与对照组相比均无显著差异，它们均未引起Neuro-2a细胞膜内LDH的改变，看来钠离子通道阻断剂类毒素不会通过影响细胞膜的通透性而对细胞引起毒性效应。 本研究还利用STX和TTX两种钠离子通道标准毒素以及乌苯苷、藜芦定两种生物毒素，参照Jellett（1992）方法，建立了STX和TTX两种钠离子通道类毒素的细胞毒性检测的标准曲线，分别为：Y=0.266X+51.184和 Y=1.6068X+47.186。检出限分别为5ng/ml和0.8ng/ml。并且利用已建立的细胞毒性检测方法检测了来自浙江舟山和连云港赣榆市的19个织纹螺样品和5株实验室培养的亚历山大藻，得到的实验结果与小鼠生物测试和HPLC检测的结果存在较好的相关关系。鉴于该方法具有高通量、省时、检出限低等优点，因此更具有在沿海环境检测中推广应用的潜力。

DSP等赤潮藻毒素对哺乳类细胞的毒性效应及机制研究

本文研究了腹泻性贝毒的主要组分大田软海绵酸以及几株重要赤潮藻的提取物对四株哺乳类细胞的毒性效应，并探讨了应用细胞毒性检测方法作为赤潮藻毒素毒性检测常规方法的可能性。 结果发现：OA和利玛原甲藻提取物显著地抑制四株细胞的增殖并诱导四株细胞发生凋亡；四株细胞对毒素的敏感性存在一定的差异，人肝癌细胞和小鼠神经瘤细胞较敏感，其次分别为人肝细胞和小鼠皮肤细胞。 小鼠神经瘤细胞对OA反应敏感，细胞毒性检测指标及检测方法灵敏、快速，应用小鼠神经瘤细胞Neuro-2a进行的DSP毒素细胞毒性测试方法具有发展为该类毒素毒性监测常规方法的潜能。 米氏凯伦藻内存在抑制细胞增殖的毒性物质，且该物质是一种具有一定极性的脂溶性物质；该物质能够导致细胞肿胀、破裂，并诱导细胞发生脂质过氧化，导致脂质过氧化产物丙二醛(MDA)的积累。 相关亚历山大藻的去藻过滤液内存在抑制细胞增殖和诱导细胞凋亡的毒性物质，该毒性物质的分子量＞5K，这与本实验室以往的研究结果一致。 　　总之，通过我们的研究发现：DSP等赤潮藻毒素或毒性物质对哺乳类细胞存在毒性影响，且不同毒素的危害机制存在差异，赤潮藻毒素或赤潮藻产生的一些毒性物质威胁人类的健康，应引起我们的高度关注。

Application of rotifer Brachionus plicatilis in detecting the toxicity of harmful algae

The toxicity of seven major HAB (harmful algal bloom) species/strains, Prorocentrum donghaiense, Phaeocystis globosa, Prorocentrum micans, Alexandrium tamarense (AT-6, non-PSP producer), Alexandrium lusitanicum, Alexandrum tamarense (ATHK) and Heterosigma akashiwo were studied against rotifer Brachionus plicatilis under laboratory conditions. The results show that P. donghaiense, P. globosa, P. micans, A. tamarense (AT-6), or A. lusitanicum could maintain the individual survival and reproduction, as well as the population increase of the rotifer, but the individual reproduction would decrease when exposed to these five algae at higher densities for nine days; H. akashiwo could decrease the individual survival and reproduction, as well as population increase of the rotifer, which is similar to that of the starvation group, indicating that starvation might be its one lethal factor except for the algal toxins; A. tamarense (ATHK) has strong lethal effect on the rotifer with 48h LC50 at 800 cells/mL. The experiment on ingestion ability indicated by gut pigment change shows that P. donghaiense, P. globosa, P. micans, A. tamarense (AT-6) and A. lusitanicum can be taken by the rotifers as food, but A. tamarense (ATHK) or H. akashiwo can be ingested by the rotifers. The results indicate that all the indexes of individual survival and reproduction, population increase, gut pigment change of the rotifers are good and convenient to be used to reflect the toxicities of HAB species. Therefore, rotifer is suggested as one of the toxicity testing organisms in detecting the toxicity of harmful algae.

Experimental study on the impact of dinoflagellate Alexandrium species on populations of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

To investigate harmful effects of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium species on microzooplankton, the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis was chosen as an assay species, and tested with 10 strains of Alexandrium including one known non-PSP-producer (Alexandrium tamarense, AT-6). HPLC analysis confirmed the PSP-content of the various strains: Alexandrium lusitanicum, Alexandrium minutum and Alexandrium tamarense (ATHK, AT5-1, AT5-3, ATC102, ATC103) used in the experiment were PSP-producers. No PSP toxins were detected in the strains Alexandrium sp1, Alexandrium sp2. Exposing rotifer populations to the densities of 2000 cells ml(-1) of each of these 10 Alexandrium strains revealed that the (non-PSP) A. tarnarense (AT-6) and two other PSP-producing algae: A. lusitanicum, A. minutum, did not appear to adversely impact rotifer populations. Rotifers exposed to these three strains were able to maintain their population numbers, and in some cases, increase them. Although some increases in rotifer population growth following exposures to these three algal species were noted, the rate was less than for the non-exposed control rotifer groups. In contrast, the remaining seven algal strains (A. tamarense ATHK, AT5-1, AT5-3, ATC102, ATC103; also Alexandrium sp1 and Alexandrium sp2) all have adverse effects on the rotifers. Dosing rotifers with respective algal cell densities of 2000 cells ml-1 each, for Alexandrium spl, Alexandrium sp2, and A. tamarense strains ATHK and ATC103 showed mean lethal time (LT50) on rotifer populations of 21, 28, 29, and 36h, respectively. The remaining three species (A. tamarense strains AT5-1, AT5-3, ATC102) caused respective mean rotifer LT50S of 56, 56, and 71 h, compared to 160 h for the unexposed "starved control" rotifers. Experiments to determine ingestion rates for the rotifers, based on changes in their Chlorophyll a content, showed that the rotifers could feed on A. lusitanicum, A. minutum and A. tamarense strain AT-6, but could graze to little or no extent upon algal cells of the other seven strains. The effects on rotifers exposed to different cell densities, fractions, and growth phases of A. tamarense algal culture were respectively compared. It was found that only the whole algal cells had lethal effects, with strongest impact being shown by the early exponential growth phase of A. tamarense. The results indicate that some toxic mechanism(s), other than PSP and present in whole algal cells, might be responsible for the adverse effects on the exposed rotifers. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of Neomysis awatschensis as a standard marine toxicity test organism in China

The small mysid crustacean Neomysis awatschensis was collected in the west coast of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, China in 1992 and acclimated and cultured in laboratory conditions since then. Standard acute toxicity tests using 4-6 d juvenile mysids of this species were conducted and the results were compared with Mysidopsis bahia, a standard toxicity test organism used in the US in terms of their sensitivities to reference toxins, as well as their taxonomy, morphology and geographic distributions. Because of its wide distribution along the Chinese coast, similar sensitivity to pollutants as M. bahia, short life history, small size and the case of handling, this study intended to use N. awatschensis as one of the standard marine organisms for toxicity testing in China. The species were applied to acute toxicity evaluations of drilling fluid and its additives I organotin TPT and toxic algae, and to chronic ( life cycle) toxicity assays of organotin TPT and a toxic dinofalgellate Alexandrium tamarense, respectively. Using N, awatschensis as a standard toxicity testing organism in marine pollution assessment in China is suggested.

Study on impact of dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense on life activities of marine bivalves

The effects of a PSP producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense on marine bivalves at their several important life,stages: egg, D - shape larva, eyespot larva, juvenile and adult, were studied! The results show that the hitching survival, activity, filtration and! growth were adversely affected by the alga and the impact was significantly increased with the increase of algal density. The inhibitory effect on egg hatching was most significant, which the hatching rate was only 30% of the control when exposed to the alga at 100 cell/cm(3) after 36 h. Further experiments show that the algal culture, re-suspended cells and cell fragments had the inhibitory effect, while no such effect was from the cell-free medium, cell contents and standard STX. The results indicate that the alga could produce unknown toxins, rather than PSP, associated with the cell surface.

Protein phosphatase inhibition assay for detection of diarrhetic shellfish poison in oyster

A method based on protein phosphatase enzyme activity inhibition for the detection of diarrhetic shellfish poison (DSP) was used to analyze the DSP toxicity in three oyster samples. Based on the standard dose-effect curve developed with a series of okadaic acid (OA) standard solutions, the DSP toxicity of the three oyster samples collected were screened, and the results showed that there were no OA and dinophysis toxins ( DTXs) in the samples without hydrolization. However, the OA toxicity could be detected in two of the hydrolyzed samples, and the OA toxicity of the two samples were 1.81 and 1.21 mu g OA eq./kg oyster, respectively.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry with a matrix of carbon nanotubes for the analysis of low-mass compounds in environmental samples

The use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) for environmental analysis has been mainly focused on qualitative analysis of high-mass molecules, such as toxins, humic acid, and microorganisms. Herein,we describe a novel MALDI-TOF-MS method with a matrix of oxidized carbon nanotubes for analysis of low-mass compounds in environmental samples. A number of chemicals in the environment were qualitatively analyzed by the present method, and it was found that most of them, especially the highly polar chemicals, were measurable with high sensitivity. With the intrinsic ability to measure high-mass chemicals, this method can compensate for the current shortage of methods for environmental analysis for the measurement of highly polar or high-mass chemicals. For sample analysis, arsenic speciation in Chinese traditional medicines was qualified and diphenylolpropane in water samples was quantified. With the relatively high tolerance of the method to interfering molecules, a simple pretreatment or even no pretreatment could be employed before MS detection. Furthermore, this method can be employed in a high-throughput format.