title: Comparative study of cyanotoxins affecting cytoskeletal and chromatin structures in CHO-K1 cells.
abstract: In this study we compared the effects of the two frequently occuring and most dangerous cyanobacterial toxins on the cellular organization of microfilaments, microtubules and on the chromatin structure in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells. These compounds are the widely known microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and cylindrospermopsin (CYN) classified as the highest-priority cyanotoxin. Toxic effects were tested in a concentration and time dependent manner. The hepatotoxic MC-LR did not cause significant cytotoxicity on CHO-K1 cells under 20 microM, but caused apoptotic changes at higher concentrations. Apoptotic shrinkage was associated with the shortening and loss of actin filaments and with a concentration dependent depolymerization of microtubules. No necrosis was observed over the concentration range (1-50 microM MC-LR) tested. Cylindrospermopsin did cause apoptosis at low concentrations (1-2 microM) and over short exposure periods (12h). Necrosis was observed at higher concentrations (5-10 microM) and following longer exposure periods (24 or 48h). Cyanotoxins also affected the chromatin structure. The condensation process was inhibited by MC-LR at a later stage and manifested as broken elongated prechromosomes. CYN inhibited chromatin condensation at the early fibrillary stage leading to blurred fluorescent images of apoptotic bodies and preventing the formation of metaphase chromosomes. Cylindrospermopsin exhibited a more pronounced toxic effect causing cytoskeletal and nuclear changes as well as apoptotic and necrotic alterations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Zoology, Balaton Limnological Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Tihany, Hungary.
authors.forename: Mariann
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gácsi
authors.forename: Otilia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Antal
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vasas
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Máthé
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borbély
authors.forename: Martin L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Saker
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gyori
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vehovszky
authors.forename: Gáspár
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bánfalvi
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002843:Chromatin / Q000187:drug effects*; D006224:Cricetinae; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins / Q000633:toxicity*; D014498:Uracil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002843:Chromatin; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins; C089595:cylindrospermopsin; D014498:Uracil; C057862:cyanoginosin LR