Mitotoxin

Mitotoxin is the toxin that causes ciguaterapoisoning. Mitotoxin was named from the ciguateric fish Ctenochaetus striatus—called ?mito? in Tahiti—from which mitotoxin was isolated for the first time. Later on, it was revealed that mitotoxin is made by the dinoflagellateGambierdiscus toxicus.

The toxicityof mitotoxin to mice is the highest in nonprotein toxins: the LD50is 50 ng/kg. Mitotoxin induces Ca²⁺ influx into cell lines when its concentration is nano-molarto pico-molar, and at lower concentrations than pico-molar, mitotoxin stimulates degradation of inositol phosphate. The mechanisms of the activities have not been determined yet.

Mitotoxin's molecular formula is C₁₆₄H₂₅₆O₆₈S₂Na₂, and its molecular weightis 3422: it is the largest natural product among compounds that do not have well-known units like proteinsor polysaccharides. Mitotoxin includes 32 etherrings, 22 methyls, 28 hydroxyls, and 2 sulfuric acid esters. Mitotoxin has an amphipathicstructure: polar radicalslocalize at the A to O rings, and methyls localize at the R to F' rings.

The chemical structure of mitotoxin was determined in 1996 by using high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonancespectrum, mass spectroscopy, and synthetic chemical methods.

Image:Mitotoxin.jpg

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitotoxin Wikipedia article Mitotoxin.