Abstract
We investigated the concentration of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in sections of skin containing and lacking red dorsal spots in both Eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) efts and adults. Several other species, such as Pleurodeles waltl and Echinotriton andersoni, have granular glands concentrated in brightly pigmented regions on the dorsum, and thus we hypothesized that the red dorsal spots of Eastern newts may also possess higher levels of TTX than the surrounding skin. We found no difference between the concentrations of TTX in the red spots as compared to neighboring skin lacking these spots in either efts or adults. However, efts with more red dorsal spots had elevated TTX levels relative to efts with fewer spots.
Highlights
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a nonproteinaceous neurotoxin that prevents the generation of action potentials in nerve and skeletal muscle by binding to the pore region of voltagegated sodium channels, leading to fatal asphyxiation [1, 2]
A paired t-test found no significant difference between the concentration of TTX in the red spots versus areas lacking these spots in adult newts (t = -0.453, df = 6, P = 0.67, Figure 1) or in efts (t = 0.014, df = 14, P = 0.99, Figure 1)
Our study shows that the red dorsal spots do not contain elevated TTX concentrations relative to areas lacking these spots in eft nor adult Eastern newts
Summary
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a nonproteinaceous neurotoxin that prevents the generation of action potentials in nerve and skeletal muscle by binding to the pore region of voltagegated sodium channels, leading to fatal asphyxiation [1, 2]. This natural toxin is found in a wide range of taxa including marine bacteria, ribbon and flatworms, mollusks, and several species of terrestrial amphibians (reviewed by [3,4,5]). One of the primary functions of TTX is as an antipredator defense mechanism. This forces the toxin out of the gland, which may be absorbed by epithelial cells in the predator’s mouth, leading to rapid death in nonresistant predators [8]
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