Abstract
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.
Highlights
Tetrodotoxin (TTX, C11 H17 N3 O8 ), known as pufferfish toxin, is a sodium channel blocker, and is one of the most toxic natural substances known [1,2,3]
Our analyses have revealed a new aspect of the ecology of this species, and our data will be of value to elucidating the contribution of this flatworm to toxin accumulation in pufferfish
Body weight began to increase in September, peaked in April, and gradually decreased from May to August (Figure 1A)
Summary
Tetrodotoxin (TTX, C11 H17 N3 O8 ), known as pufferfish toxin, is a sodium channel blocker, and is one of the most toxic natural substances known [1,2,3]. TTX production has been observed in several species of bacteria that are symbiotic with the pufferfish and their potential food organisms [21,22,23]. Accumulation of TTX in pufferfish is thought to be due to biomagnification through the food chain, starting with marine bacteria as the primary TTX producer [3,23]. TTX is not detected in artificially cultured pufferfish fed on non-toxic organisms after hatching, cultured non-toxic pufferfish can be induced to harbor TTX by oral administration of the toxin [24,25,26,27,28]
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