title: Isolation and identification of a new tetrodotoxin-producing bacterial species, Raoultella terrigena, from Hong Kong marine puffer fish Takifugu niphobles.
abstract: Puffer fish, Takifugu niphobles, collected from the Hong Kong coastal waters were screened for tetrodotoxin-producing bacteria. A Gram-negative, non-acid-fast, non-sporing and rod shaped bacterial strain (designated as gutB01) was isolated from the intestine of the puffer fish and was shown to produce tetrodotoxin (TTX). Based on the Microbial Identification (MIDI) and 16S-23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) phylogenetic analysis, the strain was identified as Raoultella terrigena. The TTX production ability of the strain was confirmed by mouse bioassay, ELISA and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). Our results reiterate that the TTX found in puffer fish was likely produced by the associated bacteria and TTX are widely produced amongst a diversity of bacterial species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Vincent Chung-Him
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Peter Hoi-Fu
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Kin-Chung
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Fred Wang-Fat
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006723:Hong Kong; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D023721:Tetraodontiformes / Q000382:microbiology*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D013779:Tetrodotoxin