Identification of deep-sea-sediment bacteria which produce tetrodotoxin.
Forty-nine bacterial strains were isolated from deep-sea sediments. Among them, 22 strains were shown by the tissue culture assay method to produce sodium channel blockers. For some strains, high-performance liquid chromatography analysis confirmed that the blocker was tetrodotoxin. Tetrodotoxin-producing bacteria seem to be widespread in marine sediment.
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Department of Marine Microbiology, Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Minamidai, Nakano, Tokyo 164, Japan.
Kogure
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Simidu
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