title: Toxins contained in Microcystis species of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).
abstract: Cyclic peptide toxins were analyzed for three Microcystis species (M. aeruginosa, M. viridis and M. wesenbergii) using an ODS-silica gel cartridge and high performance liquid chromatography with ODS-silica gel. On strain of M. aeruginosa contained a high amount of microcystin (cyanoginosin) YR and a lesser amount of LR. Three toxins, microcystin-RR, -YR and -LR, were detected in two strains of M. aeruginosa and four of M. viridis. The main component of the toxins of these strains was microcystin-RR. M. wesenbergii showed no peak in the area where the three toxins were obtained in other Microcytisis species by HPLC analysis. LD50 values of the purified toxins of YR and LR were similar, while a lower toxicity was estimated for RR. This explains the relatively weak toxicity of M. viridis whose main component is microcystin-RR.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health, Japan.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oishi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D052998:Microcystins; D046931:Microcystis / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins