A species of Prorocentrum (Dinophyta, Prorocentrales), isolated from a phytoplankton net sample from the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, has been brought into unialgal culture. The sample was collected at an aquaculture site immediately following an incident of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) due to the consumption of contaminated mussels. This clonal isolate has been identified as P. lima, based on its morphological characteristics. Analysis of the culture extract, using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection, indicated the presence of the DSP toxins, okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1).
The diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxin-producing dinoflagellate, Prorocentrum lima, isolated from Nova Scotian waters, contained both okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1) throughout its growth cycle in culture; maximum concentrations of toxins and highest OA/DTX-1 ratios occurred during the stationary phase. Cells of P. lima survived 0 degrees C for 5 weeks and recovered when brought to a higher temperature. During the cold period, some cell damage probably occurred with concomitant losses of toxins to the medium. Nitrogen concentration in the medium was used to limit growth or stress the cells physiologically, and when growth was limited, increases in toxin associated with the cells were recorded. The relative amounts of okadaic acid were always greater than dinophysistoxin-1, but the significance of these ratios remains to be determined.
A new marine toxin dinophysistoxin-2 (DTX-2) 4, isolated from toxic Irish mussels and biogenetically related to the toxins okadaic acid 1 and dinophysistoxin-I (DTX-1) 2, the principal agents responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), is reported.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.