Puffer smells tetrodotoxin

Okita, Kogen; Yamazaki, Hideki; Sakiyama, Kazutaka; Yamane, Hikaru; Niina, Shinya; Takatani, Tomohiro; Arakawa, Osamu; Sakakura, Yoshitaka

doi:10.1007/s10228-013-0353-z

Cited by 31 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Highly concentrated TTX (9393 ± 3356 μg/g) was detected from the egg plate samples by LC-MS/MS analysis (Figure 3; Table 1), as in previous reports [30,31]. It is possible that the pufferfish use olfaction in detecting the toxic flatworm egg plates, since pufferfish have been reported to be able to smell TTX [33]. Interestingly, however, the pufferfish in our study tried to scrape the egg plates from the outer wall of the transparent plastic containers even though the egg plates had been deposited on the inner walls, suggesting that they (also) used visual cues to detect the egg plates.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 77%

Toxic Flatworm Egg Plates Serve as a Possible Source of Tetrodotoxin for Pufferfish

Okabe

Oyama

Kashitani

et al. 2019

Toxins

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The pufferfish Takifugu niphobles (at present Takifugu alboplumbeus) possesses highly concentrated tetrodotoxin (TTX), an extremely potent neurotoxin that provides effective protection from predators, at least at the larval stages. However, the source of the toxin has remained unclear. Recently, DNA from the toxic flatworm Planocera multitentaculata was detected in the intestinal contents of juveniles and young of the pufferfish, suggesting that the flatworm contributes to its toxification at various stages of its life. In this study, we describe the behavior of the pufferfish in the intertidal zone that appears to contribute to its toxification before and during its spawning period: pufferfish were found to aggregate and ingest flatworm egg plates by scraping them off the surface of rocks. DNA analysis based on 28S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) genes identified the egg plates as those of P. multitentaculata. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the egg plates contain highly concentrated TTX. The feeding behavior of the pufferfish on the flatworm egg plates was also observed in the aquarium. These results suggest that pufferfish feed on the flatworm egg plate, which enables them to acquire toxicity themselves while providing their offspring with the protective shield of TTX.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 77%

Toxic Flatworm Egg Plates Serve as a Possible Source of Tetrodotoxin for Pufferfish

Okabe

Oyama

Kashitani

et al. 2019

Toxins

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“…Another possibility was reported in an unidentified planocerid flatworm that utilized TTX both for defense and for catching prey [18]. In pufferfish, TTX might be provided to larvae for defense against predators and also released to act as an aggregation pheromone during the spawning period [36,37,40,41,42]. Further investigations are required to elucidate the full gamut of ecological and physiological functions of TTX in flatworms and other species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal Changes in the Tetrodotoxin Content of the Flatworm Planocera multitentaculata

et al. 2017

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Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that acts specifically on voltage-gated sodium channels on excitable membranes of muscle and nerve tissues. The biosynthetic process for TTX is unclear, although marine bacteria are generally thought to be the primary producers. The marine flatworm Planocera multitentaculata is a known TTX-bearing organism, and is suspected to be a TTX supplier to pufferfish. In this study, flatworm specimens were collected from an intertidal zone in Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan, the TTX content of the flatworm was measured using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and seasonal changes in TTX content were investigated. No significant difference in TTX concentration of the flatworm body was found between the spawning period and other periods. However, the TTX content in individual flatworms was significantly higher in the spawning period than at other times. The TTX content rose in association with an increase in the body weight of the flatworm.

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“…It is known that artificially-raised T. rubripes becomes non-toxic when fed with non-toxic diets in an environment where the invasion of TTX-bearing organisms was eliminated [19,20]. Such non-toxic T. rubripes juveniles are attracted to TTX by olfactory [21] and accumulate TTX when they are fed TTX-containing diet [22]. Furthermore, TTX was detected not only in liver but also basal cell of skin both in the wild juveniles and artificially-raised juveniles to which TTX were orally administrated [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Administration of tetrodotoxin protects artificially raised juvenile tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes from predators

et al. 2016

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We examined the effects of tetrodotoxin (TTX) administration to the artificially-raised tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes juveniles on the survival after release into a mesocosm with predators in order to clarify the ecological significance of TTX. Artificial pellets containing 3 different concentrations of TTX (0 as control, 7, 14 MU/g•diet) were fed to non-toxic artificially-raised T. rubripes juveniles for 10 days. TTX accumulation in the various tissues of fish was detected except for control diet group, and TTX administration did not affect survival or growth of the fish. Then, a hundred fish from each diet group were released together into a salt-pond mesocosm (2,650 m 2) with predators (Lateolabrax sp.) for 5 days. Survival after release was significantly higher in the fish fed with TTX both 7 MU/g•diet (62 %) and 14 MU/g•diet (74 %) than the control fish (32 %).

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Puffer smells tetrodotoxin

Cited by 31 publications

References 23 publications

Toxic Flatworm Egg Plates Serve as a Possible Source of Tetrodotoxin for Pufferfish

Toxic Flatworm Egg Plates Serve as a Possible Source of Tetrodotoxin for Pufferfish

Seasonal Changes in the Tetrodotoxin Content of the Flatworm Planocera multitentaculata

Administration of tetrodotoxin protects artificially raised juvenile tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes from predators

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