title: Cytotoxic effect of palytoxin on mussel.
abstract: Palytoxin is a large and complex polyhydroxylated molecule with potent neurotoxic activity. Dinoflagellates from the Ostreopsis genera were demonstrated to be producers of this compound and analogues. Even though initially palytoxin appearance was restricted to tropical areas, the recent occurrence of Ostreopsis outbreaks in Mediterranean Sea point to a worldwide dissemination probably related to climatic change. Those dinoflagellates can bioaccumulate in shellfish, especially in filter-feeding mollusks and have been involved in damaging effects in seafood or human toxic outbreaks. The present study describes palytoxins effect on metabolic activity of mantle and hepatopancreas cells from the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk. Our results indicate that palytoxin is highly cytotoxic to mussel cells; unlike it happens with other toxins more common in European coasts such as okadaic acid and azaspiracid. These findings have a special significance for the marine environment and aquiculture since they are evidence for the ability of palytoxin to affect the integrity of bivalve mollusks that are not adapted to the presence of this toxin.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain.
authors.forename: M Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Louzao
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Espiña
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cagide
authors.forename: Isabel R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Ares
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfonso
authors.forename: Mercedes R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Vieytes
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Botana
mesh_terms: D000178:Acrylamides / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000469:parasitology; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000095702:Polyether Toxins
chemical_list: D000178:Acrylamides; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms; C010272:palytoxin; D000095702:Polyether Toxins