title: Ethanolic extraction, purification, and partial characterization of a fluorescent toxin from the coral reef crab, Lophozozymus pictor.
abstract: A purification procedure for Lophozozymus pictor toxin (LPTX) following ethanolic extraction of whole crab homogenate is described. The ethanol-extracted toxin (LPTX-E) had higher yield and specific activity than the hot aqueous-extracted one (LPTX-H). It was found that LPTX-E was fluorescent and cochromatographed with LPTX-H on two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Although LPTX-E, LPTX-H, and palytoxin (P. caribaeorum, PTX) had similar migration and retention times when analysed on high performance capillary electrophoresis and gel permeation-high performance liquid chromatography respectively, LPTX-E and LPTX-H were both fluorescent in contrast to PTX. In addition, LPTX-E had a different retention time compared with PTX when chromatographed on reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography in the solvent system 80% acetonitrile and 0.02 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.2, at a 4:1 ratio, respectively, indicating some differences in their chemical structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Khoo
authors.forename: Q T
authors.initials: QT
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000097:Acetonitriles / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D003386:Brachyura / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004586:Electrophoresis; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000097:Acetonitriles; D008387:Marine Toxins; D000431:Ethanol; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid; D011188:Potassium; C032159:acetonitrile