Domoic neurotoxin

Hardstafe WR, Jamieson WD, Milley JE, Quilliam MA, Sim PG (1990) Reference materials for domoic acid, a marine neurotoxin. Fresenius J Anal Chem 338 520-525. 

Larm J. A., Beart R M., and Cheung N. S. (1997). Neurotoxin domoic acid produces cytotoxicity via kainate- and AMPA-sensitive receptors in cultured cortical neurones. Neurochem. Int. 31 677-682. 

The red alga Digenea simplex has been used for the treatment of roundworm disease for centuries. Its active principle is kainic acid. The related domoic acid is a constituent of another red alga, Chondria armata, used for the same purpose. These compounds, known as kainoids, are potent neurotoxins and excitatory amino acids. Kainoids are important tools in neurophysiological research. Domoic acids are also produced by diatoms and were responsible for the shellfish poisonings known as amnesic shellfish poisonings that occurred in Canada in 1987. 

Ryan, J.C., Morey, J.S., Ramsdell, J.S., and VanDolah, EM. 2005. Acute phase gene expression in mice exposed to the marine neurotoxin domoic acid. Neuroscience. 

Tryphonas, L., and Iverson, F. 1990. Neuropathology of excitatory neurotoxins the domoic acid model. Toxicologic Pathology 18, 165-169. 

Xi, D, Peng, Y.G., and Ramsdell, J.S. 1997. Domoic acid is apotent neurotoxin to neonatal rats. Natural Toxins 5, 74—79. 

Pan, Y., Subba Rao, D., Mann, K., Brown, R., and Pocklington, R. (1996b). Effects of silicate limitation on production of domoic acid, a neurotoxin, by the diatom Pseudonitzschia pungens f. multiseries (Hasle). I. Batch culmre studies. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 131, 225-233. 

Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number CAS 14277-97-5. Domoic acid, a glutamic acid analog that is resistant to temperature extremes, is an excitatory neurotoxin produced by a diatom and concentrated in shellfish. Ingestion leads to amnesic shellfish poisoning, which can also include seizures. Its relevance to use in warfare and terrorism, apart from its being unfamiliar to most disaster-response personnel, is that it is also easily absorbed by inhalation and across mucous membranes. No specific antitoxin is available, and treatment is supportive. 

As we have seen domoic acid is produced by a variety of aquatic species worldwide. It can also concentrate in species that have been consumed by humans for millenia. And as jusf discussed, domoic acid is an exfremely potenf neurotoxin, requiring ingestion... 

In a similar manner, these researchers have also synthesized [48] a C-8 side-chain analog 60 of domoic acid using a cobalt-mediated cyclization-elimination sequence on the iodide 59 (Scheme 22). They extended this methodology to an enantiospecific total synthesis of acromelic acid A 64, a potent neurotoxin obtained from poisonous mushrooms [46]. The cornerstone of their synthetic strategy was a cobalt-mediated radical cyclization of the substrate 61 which was prepared from the epoxy alcohol in optically pure form. Treatment of 61 with cobalt(I) afforded 62, which was converted to the natural product 64 via pyridone 63 using routine functional group manipulation (Scheme 23). 

Lundhohn, N., and Moestrup, O. Morphology of the marine diatom Nitzschia navis-varingica, spp. nov. (Bacillariophyceae), another producer of the neurotoxin domoic acid. J. PhycoL, 36, 1162-1174(2000). 

Quilliam, M. A., et al. High-performance liquid chromatography of domoic acid, a marine neurotoxin, with application to shellfish and plankton. Intern. J. Environ. Anal. Chem., 36, 139-154 (1989). 

James, K.J. et al.. New fluorometric method of liquid chromatography for the determination of the neurotoxin domoic acid in seafood and marine phytoplankton, J. Chromatogr. A, 871, 1, 2000. 

Cennamo et al. [103] developed a SPR based sensor with a MIP layer of about 150 nm. This sensor was able to specifically recognize L-nicotine and not D-nicotine at a low concentration relevant for samples in the field. Other examples of MIP based SPR sensors are the sensor by Verma and Gupta [104] detecting the antibiotics tetracycline and their vitamin B3 sensor [105] for which the MIPs were prepared in hydrogel. Lotierzo et al. [106] developed an SPR based sensor for domoic acid, a neurotoxin. They compared their sensor with a sensor based on monoclonal antibodies and found that the MIP based sensor could be regenerated without losing its functionality and had a three times lower detection limit compared to the immunosensor. 

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