Science: Brunson,...Oborník et al. 2018
Biosynthesis of the neurotoxin domoic acid in a bloom-forming diatom.
Article:
Oceanic harmful algal blooms of Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms produce the potent mammalian neurotoxin domoic acid (DA). Despite decades of research, the molecular basis for its biosynthesis is not known. By using growth conditions known to induce DA production in Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries, we implemented transcriptome sequencing in order to identify DA biosynthesis genes that colocalize in a genomic four-gene cluster. We biochemically investigated the recombinant DA biosynthetic enzymes and linked their mechanisms to the construction of DA’s diagnostic pyrrolidine skeleton, establishing a model for DA biosynthesis. Knowledge of the genetic basis for toxin production provides an orthogonal approach to bloom monitoring and enables study of environmental factors that drive oceanic DA production.
Brunson J.K., McKinnie S.M.K., Chekan J.R.,McCrow J.P., Miles Z.D., Bertrand E.M., Bielinski V.A., Luhavaya H., Oborník M., Smith G.J., Hutchins D.A., Allen A.E., Moore B.S. 2018: Biosynthesis of the neurotoxin domoic acid in a bloom-forming diatom. Science 361: 1356–1358. [IF=41,058]
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6409/1356/tab-pdf
Comment:
Phytoplankton are unicellular photosynthetic organisms that occur in vast abundance in the world's oceans. This diverse group of algae is responsible for nearly half of the total global CO2 fixation and forms the base of the marine food web. However, some phytoplankton taxa produce toxins that can poison marine wildlife and humans. Mass occurrences of such toxic unicellular algae in the plankton occur periodically and are known as harmful algal blooms (see the first photo). For example, the toxic diatom Pseudo-nitzschia (see the second photo) regularly emerges in the Pacific. In 2015, this microalga formed the largest harmful algal bloom ever recorded, which stretched along nearly the entire coast from Alaska to Mexico and caused massive ecologic and economic damage (1). On page 1356 of this issue, Brunson et al. (2) describe the biosynthesis of the toxin domoic acid that is produced by this diatom.
Pohnert G., Poulin R.X., Baumeister T.U.H. 2018: The making of a plankton toxin. Science 361: 1308–1309.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6409/1308
Mediální ohlasy:
Team discovers genes behind domoic acid, a deadly algae neurotoxin
Solución al misterio de las toxinas en las mareas de algas
Biosynthetic pathway identified for algal bloom toxin domoic acid
A Genetic Answer to Why Algal Blooms Become Toxic
Генетики раскрыли секрет токсичности "зомби-водорослей"
Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algal blooms become toxic
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Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algal blooms become toxic
