Article
Environmental Sciences
Elizabeth M. Mudge, Christopher O. Miles, Lada Ivanova, Silvio Uhlig, Keiana S. James, Deana L. Erdner, Christiane K. Faeste, Pearse McCarron, Alison Robertson
Summary: A novel ciguatoxin analogue, C-CTX5, was identified from two species of Gambierdiscus algae in the Caribbean, and it was found to be converted into the dominant toxin, CTX1/2, in ciguatoxic fish. This discovery is crucial for risk assessment, understanding the fate of C-CTXs in food webs, and developing effective analytical methods and monitoring programs.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Angels Tudo, Maria Rambla-Alegre, Cintia Flores, Nuria Sagrista, Paloma Aguayo, Laia Reverte, Monica Campas, Neide Gouveia, Carolina Santos, Karl B. Andree, Antonio Marques, Josep Caixach, Jorge Diogene
Summary: Ciguatera Poisoning (CP) is a public concern in some temperate regions, and this study identified the presence of CTX-like toxicity in fish specimens from Macaronesia. The liver of Muraena augusti had the highest CTX-like toxicity, and CTX analogues were detected in this species as well as Gymnothorax unicolor.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Pablo Estevez, David Castro, Jose Manuel Leao-Martins, Manoella Sibat, Angels Tudo, Robert Dickey, Jorge Diogene, Philipp Hess, Ana Gago-Martinez
Summary: This study focused on the identification of toxic compounds produced by a G. australes strain from the Mediterranean Sea, revealing the presence of a novel MTX analogue named MTX5 and the absence of CTX precursors, highlighting the complexity of identifying CTX precursors in these regions.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Justin D. Liefer, Mindy L. Richlen, Tyler B. Smith, Jennifer L. DeBose, Yixiao Xu, Donald M. Anderson, Alison Robertson
Summary: The peak abundance of Gambierdiscus spp. occurred in summer while CTX-specific toxicity peaked in cooler months, showing an asynchronous relationship. This may reflect differences in toxin cell quotas among Gambierdiscus species.
Review
Marine & Freshwater Biology
M. Chinain, C. Gatti Howell, M. Roue, A. Ung, K. Henry, T. Revel, P. Cruchet, J. Viallon, H. T. Darius
Summary: Ciguatera Poisoning (CP) is a prevalent seafood poisoning in French Polynesia, caused by seafood contaminated with ciguatoxins produced by Gambierdiscus. The toxin production of Gambierdiscus varies considerably in the natural environment, and certain areas represent biodiversity hotspots. G. polynesiensis is suggested as the primary source of CTXs in local ciguateric environments. Both herbivores and carnivores have high prevalence of ciguatoxic fish. While CP cases seem to decline overall, some islands still have dangerously high incidence rates. Effective risk management strategies should account for the cultural impact of CP on local communities.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Elizabeth M. Mudge, Alison Robertson, Alexander K. Leynse, Pearse McCarron, Christopher O. Miles
Summary: In this study, we developed sample preparation and analysis strategies for characterizing vic-diol containing secondary metabolites using a cultured Caribbean strain of Gambierdiscus silvae. Liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) confirmed the presence of gambierone and a novel isomer of 44-methylgambierone. Selective extraction using a boronate affinity method revealed additional sulfated polycyclic ethers in the gambierone-containing fraction.
JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY B-ANALYTICAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE BIOMEDICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Pedro Reis Costa, Catarina Churro, Susana Margarida Rodrigues, Barbara Frazao, Miguel Barbosa, Lia Godinho, Lucia Solino, Viriato Timoteo, Neide Gouveia
Summary: This study reviews the occurrence of ciguatera cases in the Madeira Archipelago since its first detection in 2008, discusses the implemented risk management strategy, and provides a summary of the available data on the bioaccumulation of ciguatoxins (CTX) in the marine food web.
Review
Food Science & Technology
Da-Zhi Wang, Ye-Hong Xin, Ming-Hua Wang
Summary: Gambierdiscus, a widely distributed dinoflagellate genus in tropical and subtropical regions, produces potent toxins that pose a significant threat to human health and the environment. The expansion of CFP worldwide in recent years, due to human activities and global climate change, has resulted in increased human illness, greater public health impact, and larger economic losses. This review summarizes recent advances in the field of Gambierdiscus and its associated toxins, and provides future perspectives on this important issue.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Michael J. Holmes, Richard J. Lewis
Summary: By modeling a marine food chain in Platypus Bay, Australia, we aimed to understand the impact of food chain dynamics on ciguatera risk. Due to limited data, the estimates from this simulation were rough, but it highlighted the need for better quantitative estimates to improve our understanding and management of ciguatera risk.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher R. Loeffler, Ann Abraham, Justin E. Stopa, Harold A. Flores Quintana, Edward L. E. Jester, Joshua La Pinta, Jonathan Deeds, Ronald A. Benner, Jason Adolf
Summary: Invasive species like the Cephalopholis argus in the Hawaiian Archipelago can have far-reaching environmental and economic consequences. A study on the risk of Ciguatera seafood poisoning (CP) in two regions found that CTX levels were higher in fish from the Leeward location compared to the Windward location, confirming the accuracy of local fishers and environmental understandings regarding harvest locations. This study provides additional evidence supporting the severe CP risk posed by C. argus in the coastal food web of Hawaii.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Kathleen J. Pitz, Mindy L. Richlen, Evangeline Fachon, Tyler B. Smith, Michael L. Parsons, Donald M. Anderson
Summary: Ciguatera poisoning (CP) is caused by the accumulation of lipophilic ciguatoxins in coral reef fish and invertebrates, produced by Gambierdiscus spp. Recent studies have identified diverse species within the Gambierdiscus genus, prompting the development of new tools for species identification and enumeration. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes were designed for seven species, allowing for accurate determination of community composition and cell abundances. The application of species-specific FISH probes provides a powerful new tool to target individual Gambierdiscus species in field populations, aiding in understanding and managing the risks of CP worldwide.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ha Viet Dao, Aya Uesugi, Hajime Uchida, Ryuichi Watanabe, Ryoji Matsushima, Zhen Fei Lim, Steffiana J. Jipanin, Ky Xuan Pham, Minh-Thu Phan, Chui Pin Leaw, Po Teen Lim, Toshiyuki Suzuki
Summary: In coastal countries of Southeast Asia, fish is a staple diet but limited information on ciguatoxins diagnosis makes it difficult to diagnose food-borne diseases. A study in Malaysia identified ciguatoxin-1B in toxic red snapper, suggesting continuous consumption of the toxic fish may lead to CFP.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Dabor Resiere, Jonathan Florentin, Hossein Mehdaoui, Zakaria Mahi, Papa Gueye, Didier Hommel, Jean Pujo, Flaubert NKontcho, Patrick Portecop, Remi Neviere, Hatem Kallel, Bruno Megarbane
Summary: Ciguatera poisoning is a common cause of marine poisoning associated with fish consumption in tropical areas. This study provides a description of the clinical characteristics, management, and outcome of CP in Martinique. The findings show that CP is mainly caused by the ingestion of certain fish, such as trevallies, and that supportive management is effective in most cases.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Michael J. Holmes, Richard J. Lewis
Summary: Cells in a clonal culture of the WC1/1 strain of Gambierdiscus were observed to spontaneously fuse during growth, with the fusion process involving the formation of protrusions and fusion with other cells. Cell size in the clonal culture displayed a bimodal distribution.
Article
Engineering, Marine
Naomasa Oshiro, Takumi Tomikawa, Kyoko Kuniyoshi, Akira Ishikawa, Hajime Toyofuku, Takashi Kojima, Hiroshi Asakura
Summary: Ciguatera fish poisoning is a common seafood poisoning disease in tropical regions, caused by ciguatoxins. Research shows that the levels and profiles of ciguatoxins in fish vary among different regions, reflecting potential impacts on marine ecological environments.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Paola Bordin, Sonia Dall'Ara, Luciana Tartaglione, Pietro Antonelli, Anna Calfapietra, Fabio Varriale, Denis Guiatti, Anna Milandri, Carmela Dell'Aversano, Giuseppe Arcangeli, Lisa Barco
Summary: Tetrodotoxins are a potent neurotoxin with potentially fatal effects if ingested by humans. Recently, significant amounts of tetrodotoxins were detected in mussels collected in a specific area of the Northern Adriatic Sea in Italy, with the highest concentration ever found in mollusks in Europe.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Martin R. Jones, Ernani Pinto, Mariana A. Torres, Fabiane Dorr, Hanna Mazur-Marzec, Karolina Szubert, Luciana Tartaglione, Carmela Dell'Aversano, Christopher O. Miles, Daniel G. Beach, Pearse McCarron, Kaarina Sivonen, David P. Fewer, Jouni Jokela, Elisabeth M-L Janssen
Summary: CyanoMetDB is a curated database containing 2010 cyanobacterial metabolites, enabling research into their occurrence, functions, and toxicological risks. It facilitates the detection and dereplication of known cyanobacterial toxins, identification of novel natural products, research on biosynthesis of cyanobacterial metabolites, and investigation of their abundance, persistence, and toxicity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher R. Loeffler, Ann Abraham, Justin E. Stopa, Harold A. Flores Quintana, Edward L. E. Jester, Joshua La Pinta, Jonathan Deeds, Ronald A. Benner, Jason Adolf
Summary: Invasive species like the Cephalopholis argus in the Hawaiian Archipelago can have far-reaching environmental and economic consequences. A study on the risk of Ciguatera seafood poisoning (CP) in two regions found that CTX levels were higher in fish from the Leeward location compared to the Windward location, confirming the accuracy of local fishers and environmental understandings regarding harvest locations. This study provides additional evidence supporting the severe CP risk posed by C. argus in the coastal food web of Hawaii.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christopher R. Loeffler, Astrid Spielmeyer, Miriam Friedemann, Katrin Kapp, Ulrich Schwank, Oliver Kappenstein, Dorina Bodi
Summary: This study investigated a ciguatera poisoning outbreak in Germany in 2017 and found that the imported fish causing the poisoning was mislabeled as Red Snapper, but identified as L. bohar. CTXs were detected in all tested samples, exceeding international product regulations and CTX guidelines. The study highlights the importance of correct food labeling and the necessity of processes for food authentication and CTX contaminant analysis.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Agnese Padula, Raffaella Petruzzelli, Sasha A. Philbert, Stephanie J. Church, Federica Esposito, Severo Campione, Marcello Monti, Filomena Capolongo, Claudia Perna, Edoardo Nusco, Hartmut H. Schmidt, Alberto Auricchio, Garth J. S. Cooper, Roman Polishchuk, Pasquale Piccolo
Summary: This study successfully used split intein technology to design a dual AAV vector approach for gene therapy of Wilson disease. The results demonstrated the efficacy of split intein technology in reconstituting full-length human ATP7B protein and improving liver damage and copper homeostasis in ATP7B mice.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Astrid Spielmeyer, Christopher R. Loeffler, Oliver Kappenstein
Summary: This study conducted an in-depth investigation using a semi-targeted LC-MS/MS approach to analyze tissue samples of Lutjanus bohar from the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The samples revealed a complex CTX contaminant profile, with the presence of several congeners of the CTX3C-group, which have a strong association with ciguatera poisoning. Furthermore, there were no distinguishable differences in toxin profile among individual samples or among the different oceanic capture regions, suggesting either a species-specific CTX metabolism or the emergence of an interoceanic CTX toxin profile.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fabio Varriale, Luciana Tartaglione, Sevasti-Kiriaki Zervou, Christopher O. Miles, Hanna Mazur-Marzec, Theodoros M. Triantis, Triantafyllos Kaloudis, Anastasia Hiskia, Carmela Dell'Aversano
Summary: Cyanobacteria produce various bioactive secondary metabolites, including cyanotoxins, which are a global threat to humans and other organisms. Mass spectrometry-based methods have been developed for the determination of microcystins, the most studied class of cyanotoxins. This study compares targeted and untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry approaches for analyzing cyanobacterial biomass. It also describes the implementation of an analytical workflow for the identification of known and discovery of new cyanopeptides. The study reports the elucidation of new structural variants of microcystins and the proposal of structures for new cyanopeptides.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Christopher R. Loeffler, Astrid Spielmeyer, Vincent Blaschke, Dorina Bodi, Oliver Kappenstein
Summary: Consuming seafood contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs) can cause ciguatera poisoning (CP), a common seafood-related illness worldwide. The southwestern coast of India has been identified as a major source of seafood responsible for isolated and widespread CP outbreaks since 2015, affecting both local and global populations. This study investigates and describes a CP outbreak in the Netherlands linked to frozen snapper (Lutjanus bohar) imported from southwest India, providing detailed information on the production chain, catch region, toxin-group, and subsequent actions taken in response to the outbreak. This in-depth traceback investigation sheds light on the CP outbreak in a region of coastal India with a significant seafood industry and limited CP data available.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Christopher R. Loeffler, Ashish Gadicherla
Summary: This article presents the first purported images of ciguatoxins (CTXs) using Cryogenic Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and discusses the potential for applying this method to observe other marine biotoxins. Utilizing advanced instrumentation technologies can contribute to the fundamental science of marine toxins research.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
(2024)