Fluorometric detection of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins

Insights in the determination of saxitoxin with fluorogenic crown ethers in water

Abstract

In this contribution, we present new insights and a critical discussion in the optical detection of saxitoxin using fluorophores with crown ethers. Fluorescence enhancement is caused by the reduction of photoinduced electron transfer upon complexation with the analyte. Our attempts to improve this detection method neither did yield a functioning sensor nor were the attempts to reproduce published data in this area successful. Due to the fact that only low concentrations of saxitoxin are available, multiple surrogates were investigated at high concentrations. However, no turn on response was observed. Moreover, a fluorescent decomposition product of saxitoxin that forms under UV light was discovered which was in our opinion misinterpreted as a sensor response by previous publications.

Graphical abstract

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00706-017-2074-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Enzyme-luminescence method: Tool for real-time monitoring of natural neurotoxins in vitro and l-glutamate release from primary cortical neurons

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We describe the applicability of our previously developed novel enzyme-luminescence method for rapid and sensitive detection of natural neurotoxins (e.g., shellfish and mushroom toxins) using brain model cells (C6 glioma cells) in vitro.

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A racemic mixtures of the gonyautoxins (GTX), including GTX2,3 and GTX1,4 were used for evaluating the inhibition effects of these toxins on glutamate release from the C6 glioma cells. The potency was compared based on IC₅₀ values.

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The activation effect of ibotenic acid (a mushroom toxin) on glutamate release from C6 cells was also evaluated. The potency was compared based on EC₅₀ values.

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We also tested the applicability of our system for real-time detection of glutamate release from primary rat cortical neurons instead of model cells.

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This novel detection technique may be also applicable in determining neuronal differentiation ratio as well finding glutamatergic neurons without immunostaining in situ.

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This sensing tool may also has a great potential for the investigation of the effects of various growth factors and chemicals on neuronal differentiation, neurotransmitter dynamics, neurodegeneration, and synaptogenesis.

Novel enzyme-luminescence method is used for the rapid and sensitive in vitro detection of natural neurotoxins (e.g., shellfish and mushroom toxins) using model brain cells. Paralytic shellfish poisons gonyautoxins (e.g., GTX2,3 and GTX1,4) were detected at 1 nM level by their inhibition of glutamate release from C6 glioma cells upon drug stimulation (IC₅₀: GTX2,3 = 30 nM and GTX1,4 = 8 nM). Activation of glutamate release from C6 cells by ibotenic acid (a mushroom toxin) was also evaluated (EC₅₀ = 10 nM). The method was tested for real-time detection of glutamate release from primary rat cortical neurons. Dose-dependent effects of KCl (0–200 mM) and NMDA on glutamate release from primary cortical neurons were studied. The effects of different culture conditions on K⁺-depolarization-induced glutamate release were also investigated. The method may be applicable to screening of drugs and toxins, and finding glutamatergic neurons in brain slices without in situ staining.

Determination of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in cultured microalgae by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A novel method for the determination of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was developed. The fluorescent derivates of neosaxitoxin (neoSTX), saxitoxin (STX), gonyautoxins 1 and 4 (GTX1+4), and gonyautoxins 2 and 3 (GTX2+3) were separated on a muBondapak NH2 column (300 mm x 3.9 mm, 10 microm) using water and acetate buffer (pH 6.5) as the mobile phase (1.00 mL min(-1)) in gradient mode with fluorescence detection at 390 nm (excitation at 330 nm). The linear ranges of neoSTX, STX, GTX1+4 and GTX2+3 were 3.31-331, 0.952-95.2, 3.78-378 and 0.124-12.4 ng mL(-1), respectively. The detection limits of neoSTX, STX, GTX1+4 and GTX2+3 were 1.10, 0.32, 1.26 and 0.041 ng mL(-1), respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of PSP toxins in microalgae. The recoveries ranged from 88+/-2% to 107+/-4% and the relative standard deviations were 0.16% to 4.4%. The procedure is also environmentally friendly because no organic solvent is used in the mobile phase.

Selective detection of saxitoxin over tetrodotoxin using acridinylmethyl crown ether chemosensor

At pH 7.1, saxitoxin decomposes to produce a trace impurity that can interfere with fluorescence sensing when using irradiation wavelengths near 325 nm. The fluorophore acridine is found to be a suitable component of arylmethyl crown ether chemosensors for the fluorescent detection of saxitoxin. These sensors are selective for the detection of saxitoxin over tetrodotoxin.

Expression and characterization of Flag-epitope- and hexahistidine-tagged derivatives of saxiphilin for use in detection and assay of saxitoxin

Saxiphilin is a plasma protein from the bullfrog (Rana catesbiana) that binds saxitoxin (STX), a causative agent of paralytic shellfish poisoning. Saxiphilin is homologous to transferrin and consists of two internally homologous domains called the N-lobe and the C-lobe. STX binds to a single site in the C-lobe of saxiphilin. In this study, cloned genes coding for recombinant saxiphilin and C-lobe saxiphilin were modified to contain two tandemly located affinity tags, Flag epitope (DYKDDDDK) and His(6) (HHHHHH), at the protein C-terminus and were expressed in cultured insect cells using baculovirus vectors. Both tagged proteins are readily detected on immunoblots by anti-Flag monoclonal antibody. Flag-His(6)-tagged saxiphilin was purified to homogeneity using Ni(2+)-chelate affinity chromatography and Heparin Sepharose chromatography. Equilibrium analysis of [3H]STX binding to tagged saxiphilin and tagged C-lobe saxiphilin gave K(D) values of 0.75 and 2.7 nM, respectively. Flag-His(6)-tagged saxiphilin was also utilized in a microtiter well solid-phase assay with Reacti-bind metal chelate plates to measure [3H]STX binding and binding competition by unlabeled STX. Such Flag-His(6)-tagged derivatives of saxiphilin have many possible applications in the assay of STX and related toxinological research.