title: Toxicity and distribution of tetrodotoxin-producing bacteria in puffer fish Fugu rubripes collected from the Bohai Sea of China.
abstract: To investigate the relationship between the toxicity of puffer fish and the distribution of tetrodotoxin-producing bacteria in puffer fish Fugu rubripes collected from the Bohai Sea of China, bacteria were isolated from each organ (ovaries, livers, intestines and gallbladders) and screened for tetrodotoxin (TTX) production. 20 out of 36 isolated strains were found to produce TTX in vitro. In the organs of ovaries and livers whose toxicity is more potent than other organs, the number and toxicity of TTX-producing strains was greater than that of others. Most TTX-producing bacterial strains were identified as Bacillus spp. (19 strains) and Actinomycete spp. (1 strain) based on the morphological observation, physiological and biochemical characteristics and G+C content of DNA. The purified toxin was identified to be TTX by high performance liquid chromatography assay, thin-layer chromatography assay and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis. Our results suggested that TTX-producing bacteria are closely related to the toxification of the puffer fish. More research is needed to elucidate the mechanism of TTX synthesis and the role of TTX in bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhenlong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Guoliang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Jiangchun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Shujin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rongqing
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000190:Actinomyces / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001407:Bacillus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D001482:Base Composition; D001681:Biological Assay; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002681:China; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000382:microbiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010053:Ovary / Q000382:microbiology; D023741:Takifugu / Q000382:microbiology*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D013779:Tetrodotoxin