title: Studies of polyether toxins in the marine phytoplankton, Dinophysis acuta, in Ireland using multiple tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: Diarretic shellfish poisoning (DSP) is a toxic syndrome associated with the consumption of bivalve molluscs. The DSP toxins are polyether compounds, which include okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxins (DTXs), pectenotoxins (PTXs) and pectenotoxin seco acids (PTX2SAs). These toxins originate in marine dinoflagellates, including Dinophysis spp. Phytoplankton samples were collected from the southwest coast of Ireland and D. acuta was the predominant species. Monocultures of D. acuta cells were prepared by hand picking from microscope slides in order to confirm their toxin profiles. There was a remarkable consistency in the toxin profiles in all of the phytoplankton samples collected during the summer months, irrespective of location, depth or mesh size. Analysis using liquid chromatography-multiple tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed that DTX2 and OA were the predominant toxins at a consistent ratio. The average toxin composition was: DTX2 (53+/-5%), OA (26.5+/-2.3%) and total pectenotoxins (20.8+/-4.7%). Toxin profiles in D. acuta from Europe were distinctly different from those found in New Zealand, where PTX2 was the predominant toxin and DTX2 was absent.
authors.affiliation: PROTEOBIO, Mass Spectrometry Centre for Proteomics and Biotoxin Research, Department of Chemistry,Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Patricia Fernández
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Puente
authors.forename: María José Fidalgo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sáez
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Ambrose
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furey
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000737:chemistry*; D004988:Ethers, Cyclic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D007494:Ireland; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D004988:Ethers, Cyclic; D008387:Marine Toxins