title: Toxinological studies of the venom from Cassiopea xamachana nematocysts isolated by flow cytometry.
abstract: The tentacle epithelial tissue of Cassiopea xamachana contains nematocysts and symbiotic algal particles. These two structures were dissociated, analyzed and sorted by flow cytometry. A simple separating method was developed utilizing the algal chlorophyll autofluorescence and the nematocysts' fluorescence after the uptake of fluorescent stains. A five-fold increase in mouse lethality; significantly more potent hemolytic and cytosensing activities; as well as a cleanup in the capillary electropherogram and SDS gel profiles for the crude nematocyst venom preparations prepared by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), was observed relative to alternative methods. Because the hemolytic potency of pre-sorting nematocyst venom was minimal and the post-sorting counterpart was significantly positive, the possibility that algae inhibited the venom's toxinological activity was considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 405 W. Redwood Street, 6th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Radwan
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Burnett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000502:physiology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D037401:Scyphozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D003064:Cnidarian Venoms; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002734:Chlorophyll