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Toxins, Volume 10, Issue 1

2018 January - 48 articles

Cover Story: The peptide toxin ShK highlights the potential of sea anemones to produce valuable therapeutic leads, and the widespread abundance of closely-related peptides across many phyla suggests that the ShK scaffold can support a range of functions. Current genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic studies of sea anemones promise to greatly expand the number of ShK analogues and to identify a range of novel peptide families. The cover photo shows the tentacles (red) and acrorhagi (blue) of one of the sea anemones from south-eastern Queensland that we are investigating for new peptide toxins. View this paper
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Articles (48)

  • Review
  • Open Access
60 Citations
8,523 Views
20 Pages

Allelopathic and Bloom-Forming Picocyanobacteria in a Changing World

  • Sylwia Śliwińska-Wilczewska,
  • Jakub Maculewicz,
  • Aldo Barreiro Felpeto and
  • Adam Latała

20 January 2018

Picocyanobacteria are extremely important organisms in the world’s oceans and freshwater ecosystems. They play an essential role in primary production and their domination in phytoplankton biomass is common in both oligotrophic and eutrophic waters....

  • Article
  • Open Access
28 Citations
6,263 Views
18 Pages

Responses of Oat Grains to Fusarium poae and F. langsethiae Infections and Mycotoxin Contaminations

  • Charlotte Martin,
  • Torsten Schöneberg,
  • Susanne Vogelgsang,
  • Carla Susana Mendes Ferreira,
  • Romina Morisoli,
  • Mario Bertossa,
  • Thomas D. Bucheli,
  • Brigitte Mauch-Mani and
  • Fabio Mascher

20 January 2018

Recent increases of Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease caused by infections with F. poae (FP) and F. langsethiae (FL) have been observed in oats. These pathogens are producers of nivalenol (NIV) and T-2/HT-2 toxin (T-2/HT-2), respectively, which are...

  • Editorial
  • Open Access
8 Citations
4,851 Views
3 Pages

18 January 2018

Toxins are powerful pathogenicity factors produced by certain bacteria, fungi, animals, and plants which mediate drastic interactions of these pathogens on the organism host[...]

  • Article
  • Open Access
12 Citations
4,949 Views
11 Pages

18 January 2018

The Fusarium mycotoxin enniatin B (ENN B) is a so-called emerging mycotoxin frequently contaminating poultry feed. To investigate the impact of chronic ENN B exposure on animal health, broiler chickens were fed either a diet naturally contaminated wi...

  • Feature Paper
  • Article
  • Open Access
16 Citations
8,685 Views
12 Pages

The Peptide PnPP-19, a Spider Toxin Derivative, Activates μ-Opioid Receptors and Modulates Calcium Channels

  • Ana C. N. Freitas,
  • Steve Peigneur,
  • Flávio H. P. Macedo,
  • José E. Menezes-Filho,
  • Paul Millns,
  • Liciane F. Medeiros,
  • Maria A. Arruda,
  • Jader Cruz,
  • Nicholas D. Holliday and
  • Maria E. De Lima
  • + 2 authors

15 January 2018

The synthetic peptide PnPP-19 comprehends 19 amino acid residues and it represents part of the primary structure of the toxin δ-CNTX-Pn1c (PnTx2-6), isolated from the venom of the spider Phoneutria nigriventer. Behavioural tests suggest that PnPP-19...

  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
5,679 Views
24 Pages

Comparative Response of the Hepatic Transcriptomes of Domesticated and Wild Turkey to Aflatoxin B1

  • Kent M. Reed,
  • Kristelle M. Mendoza,
  • Juan E. Abrahante and
  • Roger A. Coulombe

13 January 2018

The food-borne mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) poses a significant risk to poultry, which are highly susceptible to its hepatotoxic effects. Domesticated turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are especially sensitive, whereas wild turkeys (M. g. silvestris) ar...

  • Article
  • Open Access
31 Citations
6,578 Views
17 Pages

Molecular and Physiological Effects on the Small Intestine of Weaner Pigs Following Feeding with Deoxynivalenol-Contaminated Feed

  • J. Alex Pasternak,
  • Vaishnavi Iyer Aka Aiyer,
  • Glenn Hamonic,
  • A. Denise Beaulieu,
  • Daniel A. Columbus and
  • Heather L. Wilson

12 January 2018

We intended to assess how exposure of piglets to deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated feed impacted their growth, immune response and gut development. Piglets were fed traditional Phase I, Phase II and Phase III diets with the control group receiving 0....

  • Article
  • Open Access
24 Citations
5,894 Views
14 Pages

Transketolase Is Identified as a Target of Herbicidal Substance α-Terthienyl by Proteomics

  • Bin Zhao,
  • Jingqian Huo,
  • Ning Liu,
  • Jinlin Zhang and
  • Jingao Dong

12 January 2018

α-terthienyl is a natural phytotoxin isolated originally from Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze. The bioassay presented here shows the strong herbicidal activity of α-terthienyl on Digitaria sanguinalis, Arabidopsis thaliana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii...

  • Article
  • Open Access
79 Citations
8,417 Views
29 Pages

Analysis of Microcystins in Cyanobacterial Blooms from Freshwater Bodies in England

  • Andrew D. Turner,
  • Monika Dhanji-Rapkova,
  • Alison O’Neill,
  • Lewis Coates,
  • Adam Lewis and
  • Katy Lewis

11 January 2018

Cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater bodies in England are currently monitored reactively, with samples containing more than 20,000 cells/mL of potentially toxin-producing species by light microscopy resulting in action by the water body owner. Whilst...

  • Review
  • Open Access
77 Citations
8,034 Views
13 Pages

10 January 2018

Each year, mycotoxins cause economic losses of several billion US dollars worldwide. Consequently, methods must be developed, for producers and cereal manufacturers, to detect these toxins and to comply with regulations. Chromatographic reference met...

  • Article
  • Open Access
43 Citations
10,704 Views
19 Pages

Biological and Proteolytic Variation in the Venom of Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus from Mexico

  • Miguel Borja,
  • Edgar Neri-Castro,
  • Gamaliel Castañeda-Gaytán,
  • Jason L. Strickland,
  • Christopher L. Parkinson,
  • Juan Castañeda-Gaytán,
  • Roberto Ponce-López,
  • Bruno Lomonte,
  • Alejandro Olvera-Rodríguez and
  • Rebeca Pérez-Morales
  • + 1 author

8 January 2018

Rattlesnake venoms may be classified according to the presence/absence and relative abundance of the neurotoxic phospholipases A 2 s (PLA 2 s), such as Mojave toxin, and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs). In Mexico, studies to dete...

  • Feature Paper
  • Review
  • Open Access
108 Citations
16,009 Views
15 Pages

Sea Anemones: Quiet Achievers in the Field of Peptide Toxins

  • Peter J. Prentis,
  • Ana Pavasovic and
  • Raymond S. Norton

8 January 2018

Sea anemones have been understudied as a source of peptide and protein toxins, with relatively few examined as a source of new pharmacological tools or therapeutic leads. This is surprising given the success of some anemone peptides that have been te...

  • Review
  • Open Access
288 Citations
16,189 Views
57 Pages

Biochemical and Clinical Impact of Organic Uremic Retention Solutes: A Comprehensive Update

  • Raymond Vanholder,
  • Anneleen Pletinck,
  • Eva Schepers and
  • Griet Glorieux

8 January 2018

In this narrative review, the biological/biochemical impact (toxicity) of a large array of known individual uremic retention solutes and groups of solutes is summarized. We classified these compounds along their physico-chemical characteristics as sm...

  • Article
  • Open Access
31 Citations
7,422 Views
25 Pages

Azemiopsin, a Selective Peptide Antagonist of Muscle Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor: Preclinical Evaluation as a Local Muscle Relaxant

  • Irina V. Shelukhina,
  • Maxim N. Zhmak,
  • Alexander V. Lobanov,
  • Igor A. Ivanov,
  • Alexandra I. Garifulina,
  • Irina N. Kravchenko,
  • Ekaterina A. Rasskazova,
  • Margarita A. Salmova,
  • Elena A. Tukhovskaya and
  • Yuri N. Utkin
  • + 5 authors

7 January 2018

Azemiopsin (Az), a linear peptide from the Azemiops feae viper venom, contains no disulfide bonds, is a high-affinity and selective inhibitor of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) of muscle type and may be considered as potentially applicable n...

  • Article
  • Open Access
21 Citations
5,358 Views
13 Pages

Development of a Deimmunized Bispecific Immunotoxin dDT2219 against B-Cell Malignancies

  • Joerg U. Schmohl,
  • Deborah Todhunter,
  • Elizabeth Taras,
  • Veronika Bachanova and
  • Daniel A. Vallera

6 January 2018

Diphtheria toxin (DT) related targeted toxins are effective in cancer treatment, but efficacy diminishes in time because of their immunogenic potential and/or former vaccinations. In order to overcome this limitation for DT2219, a promising bispecifi...

  • Article
  • Open Access
39 Citations
18,375 Views
23 Pages

A Dipteran’s Novel Sucker Punch: Evolution of Arthropod Atypical Venom with a Neurotoxic Component in Robber Flies (Asilidae, Diptera)

  • Stephan Holger Drukewitz,
  • Nico Fuhrmann,
  • Eivind A. B. Undheim,
  • Alexander Blanke,
  • Julien Giribaldi,
  • Rosanna Mary,
  • Guillaume Laconde,
  • Sébastien Dutertre and
  • Björn Marcus Von Reumont

5 January 2018

Predatory robber flies (Diptera, Asilidae) have been suspected to be venomous due to their ability to overpower well-defended prey. However, details of their venom composition and toxin arsenal remained unknown. Here, we provide a detailed characteri...

  • Article
  • Open Access
95 Citations
10,208 Views
14 Pages

5 January 2018

Since 2003, non-compliant aflatoxin concentrations have been detected in maize produced in Italy. The most successful worldwide experiments in aflatoxin prevention resulted from distribution of atoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus to displace afl...

  • Article
  • Open Access
20 Citations
5,916 Views
12 Pages

5 January 2018

Fungi respond to light irradiation by forming conidia and occasionally synthesizing mycotoxins. Several light wavelengths, such as blue and red, affect the latter. However, the relationship between light irradiation and mycotoxin synthesis varies dep...

  • Article
  • Open Access
14 Citations
6,468 Views
11 Pages

4 January 2018

Considering crops are susceptible to toxicogenic fungi during plantation, pre-processing and storage, an ultra-fast liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-QTrap-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for simul...

  • Article
  • Open Access
62 Citations
7,243 Views
17 Pages

2 January 2018

The co-occurrence of cyanotoxins and taste-and-odor compounds are a growing concern for drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) suffering cyanobacteria in water resources. The dissolved and cell-bound forms of three microcystin (MC) congeners (MC-LR,...

  • Review
  • Open Access
103 Citations
8,886 Views
18 Pages

2 January 2018

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), among other aflatoxins of the aflatoxin family, is the most carcinogenic and hazardous mycotoxin to animals and human beings with very high potency leading to aflatoxicosis. Selenium is an essential trace mineral possessing power...

  • Review
  • Open Access
18 Citations
13,089 Views
14 Pages

2 January 2018

Botulinum toxin (BTX) is a neurotoxin, and its injection in masticatory muscles induces muscle weakness and paralysis. This paralytic effect of BTX induces growth retardation of the maxillofacial bones, changes in dental eruption and occlusion state,...

  • Article
  • Open Access
29 Citations
13,113 Views
24 Pages

Comparative Venomics of the Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana and Vipera ammodytes montandoni from Turkey Provides Insights into Kinship

  • Benjamin-Florian Hempel,
  • Maik Damm,
  • Bayram Göçmen,
  • Mert Karis,
  • Mehmet Anıl Oguz,
  • Ayse Nalbantsoy and
  • Roderich D. Süssmuth

1 January 2018

The Nose-horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes) is one of the most widespread and venomous snakes in Europe, which causes high frequent snakebite accidents. The first comprehensive venom characterization of the regional endemic Transcaucasian Nose-horned Vi...

  • Article
  • Open Access
114 Citations
8,529 Views
16 Pages

ROS-Mediated Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis Induced by Zearalenone in Mouse Sertoli Cells via ER Stress and the ATP/AMPK Pathway

  • Wang-Long Zheng,
  • Bing-Jie Wang,
  • Ling Wang,
  • Yu-Ping Shan,
  • Hui Zou,
  • Rui-Long Song,
  • Tao Wang,
  • Jian-Hong Gu,
  • Yan Yuan and
  • Jian-Chun Bian
  • + 4 authors

1 January 2018

Zearalenone (ZEA) can perturb the differentiation of cells, reduce the generation of reproductive cells and induce a death of germ cells, but the molecular mechanism remains unclear. In order to investigate the potential mechanism of ZEA-induced cell...

  • Article
  • Open Access
31 Citations
8,803 Views
10 Pages

Anti-Helicobacter pylori Properties of the Ant-Venom Peptide Bicarinalin

  • Jesus Guzman,
  • Nathan Téné,
  • Axel Touchard,
  • Denis Castillo,
  • Haouaria Belkhelfa,
  • Laila Haddioui-Hbabi,
  • Michel Treilhou and
  • Michel Sauvain

29 December 2017

The venom peptide bicarinalin, previously isolated from the ant Tetramorium bicarinatum, is an antimicrobial agent with a broad spectrum of activity. In this study, we investigate the potential of bicarinalin as a novel agent against Helicobacter pyl...

  • Feature Paper
  • Review
  • Open Access
11 Citations
9,365 Views
14 Pages

Muscle Selection for Focal Limb Dystonia

  • Barbara Illowsky Karp and
  • Katharine Alter

29 December 2017

Selection of muscles for botulinum toxin injection for limb dystonia is particularly challenging. Limb dystonias vary more widely in the pattern of dystonic movement and involved muscles than cervical dystonia or blepharospasm. The large variation in...

  • Feature Paper
  • Article
  • Open Access
48 Citations
8,254 Views
26 Pages

29 December 2017

Although cyanobacterial β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), no BMAA animal model has reproduced all the neuropathology...

  • Review
  • Open Access
50 Citations
13,455 Views
27 Pages

28 December 2017

Injections of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are prescribed by clinicians for a variety of disorders that cause over-activity of muscles; glands; pain and other structures. Accurately targeting the structure for injection is one of the principle goals...

  • Article
  • Open Access
74 Citations
10,176 Views
15 Pages

Impact of the Oral Adsorbent AST-120 on Organ-Specific Accumulation of Uremic Toxins: LC-MS/MS and MS Imaging Techniques

  • Emiko Sato,
  • Daisuke Saigusa,
  • Eikan Mishima,
  • Taeko Uchida,
  • Daisuke Miura,
  • Tomomi Morikawa-Ichinose,
  • Kiyomi Kisu,
  • Akiyo Sekimoto,
  • Ritsumi Saito and
  • Sadayoshi Ito
  • + 8 authors

28 December 2017

Elevated circulating uremic toxins are associated with a variety of symptoms and organ dysfunction observed in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresyl sulfate (PCS) are representative uremic toxins that exert var...

  • Article
  • Open Access
91 Citations
8,461 Views
19 Pages

27 December 2017

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) are mycotoxins commonly found in milk; however, their effects on intestinal epithelial cells have not been reported. In the present study, we show that AFM1 (0.12 and 12 μM) and OTA (0.2 and 20 μM) individua...

  • Article
  • Open Access
10 Citations
4,602 Views
19 Pages

Peripheral 5-HT3 Receptors Are Involved in the Antinociceptive Effect of Bunodosine 391

  • Wilson Alves Ferreira Junior,
  • Andre Junqueira Zaharenko,
  • Kohei Kazuma,
  • Gisele Picolo,
  • Vanessa Pacciari Gutierrez,
  • Jose Carlos De Freitas,
  • Katsuhiro Konno and
  • Yara Cury

27 December 2017

Bunodosine 391 (BDS 391), a low molecular weight compound isolated from the sea anemone Bunodosoma cangicum, increases the nociceptive threshold and inhibits inflammatory hyperalgesia. Serotonin receptors are involved in those effects. In this study,...

  • Feature Paper
  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
6,300 Views
15 Pages

Human Scalp Hair as an Indicator of Exposure to the Environmental Toxin β-N-Methylamino-l-alanine

  • Simoné Downing,
  • Laura Louise Scott,
  • Nadezda Zguna and
  • Timothy Grant Downing

27 December 2017

Dietary or aerosol exposure to the environmental neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) is a putative risk factor for the development of sporadic neurodegenerative disease. There are many potential sources of BMAA in the environment, but BMAA pr...

  • Feature Paper
  • Review
  • Open Access
36 Citations
10,985 Views
15 Pages

Pain-Causing Venom Peptides: Insights into Sensory Neuron Pharmacology

  • Sina Jami,
  • Andelain Erickson,
  • Stuart M. Brierley and
  • Irina Vetter

27 December 2017

Venoms are produced by a wide variety of species including spiders, scorpions, reptiles, cnidarians, and fish for the purpose of harming or incapacitating predators or prey. While some venoms are of relatively simple composition, many contain hundred...

  • Article
  • Open Access
26 Citations
6,702 Views
12 Pages

Effects of Fusarium Head Blight on Wheat Grain and Malt Infected by Fusarium culmorum

  • Valentina Spanic,
  • Tihana Marcek,
  • Ivan Abicic and
  • Bojan Sarkanj

27 December 2017

Fusarium head blight is a destructive disease of cereals worldwide. The aim of this research was to study the effect of heavy Fusarium infection with Fusarium culmorum and biosynthesis of mycotoxins on different wheat varieties during malting by sett...

  • Feature Paper
  • Article
  • Open Access
21 Citations
7,462 Views
24 Pages

27 December 2017

Cyanobacterial β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) has been suggested as a causative or contributory factor in the development of several neurodegenerative diseases. However, no BMAA animal model has adequately shown clinical or behavioral symptoms that...

  • Article
  • Open Access
15 Citations
4,910 Views
17 Pages

25 December 2017

Assessing the neutralization capability of nonlethal but medically relevant toxins in venom has been a challenging task. Nowadays, neutralization efficacy is evaluated based simply on the survival rates of animals injected with antivenom together wit...

  • Article
  • Open Access
15 Citations
8,428 Views
14 Pages

24 December 2017

Bee venom (BV) has been widely used in the treatment of certain immune-related diseases. It has been used for pain relief and in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. Despite its extensive use, there is little documented evidence to demonst...

  • Review
  • Open Access
38 Citations
13,038 Views
24 Pages

Computational Studies of Snake Venom Toxins

  • Paola G. Ojeda,
  • David Ramírez,
  • Jans Alzate-Morales,
  • Julio Caballero,
  • Quentin Kaas and
  • Wendy González

22 December 2017

Most snake venom toxins are proteins, and participate to envenomation through a diverse array of bioactivities, such as bleeding, inflammation, and pain, cytotoxic, cardiotoxic or neurotoxic effects. The venom of a single snake species contains hundr...

  • Article
  • Open Access
42 Citations
5,962 Views
17 Pages

Individual and Combined Effects of Fumonisin B1, Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone on the Hepatic and Renal Membrane Lipid Integrity of Rats

  • András Szabó,
  • Judit Szabó-Fodor,
  • Hedvig Fébel,
  • Miklós Mézes,
  • Krisztián Balogh,
  • György Bázár,
  • Dániel Kocsó,
  • Omeralfaroug Ali and
  • Melinda Kovács

22 December 2017

(1) Background and (2) Methods: A 14-day in vivo, multitoxic (pure mycotoxins) rat experiment was conducted with zearalenone (ZEA; 15 μg/animal/day), deoxynivalenol (DON; 30 μg/animal/day) and fumonisin B1 (FB1; 150 μg/animal/day), as individual myco...

  • Article
  • Open Access
38 Citations
7,649 Views
16 Pages

Carbon Dioxide Mediates the Response to Temperature and Water Activity Levels in Aspergillus flavus during Infection of Maize Kernels

  • Matthew K. Gilbert,
  • Angel Medina,
  • Brian M. Mack,
  • Matthew D. Lebar,
  • Alicia Rodríguez,
  • Deepak Bhatnagar,
  • Naresh Magan,
  • Gregory Obrian and
  • Gary Payne

22 December 2017

Aspergillus flavus is a saprophytic fungus that may colonize several important crops, including cotton, maize, peanuts and tree nuts. Concomitant with A. flavus colonization is its potential to secrete mycotoxins, of which the most prominent is aflat...

  • Review
  • Open Access
54 Citations
8,542 Views
15 Pages

22 December 2017

The implication of the cyanotoxin β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) in long-lasting neurodegenerative disorders is still a matter of controversy. It has been alleged that chronic ingestion of BMAA through the food chain could be a causative agent of a...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
5,747 Views
14 Pages

22 December 2017

Periplocoside P (PSP), a novel compound isolated from Periploca sepium Bunge, possesses insecticidal activity against some lepidopterans, such as Mythimna separata. In M. separata, the brush border membrane vesicles of the midgut epithelium are the i...

  • Article
  • Open Access
36 Citations
12,344 Views
12 Pages

High Incidence and Levels of Ochratoxin A in Wines Sourced from the United States

  • Christopher Lawrence De Jesus,
  • Amanda Bartley,
  • Aaron Z. Welch and
  • John P. Berry

21 December 2017

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most prevalent mycotoxin contaminants of food crops. Among the agricultural products consequently contaminated by OTA is wine. In the present study, a sample of wines sourced from the United States was assessed for OT...

  • Article
  • Open Access
60 Citations
9,101 Views
22 Pages

Tectus niloticus (Tegulidae, Gastropod) as a Novel Vector of Ciguatera Poisoning: Detection of Pacific Ciguatoxins in Toxic Samples from Nuku Hiva Island (French Polynesia)

  • Hélène Taiana Darius,
  • Mélanie Roué,
  • Manoella Sibat,
  • Jérôme Viallon,
  • Clémence Mahana iti Gatti,
  • Mark W. Vandersea,
  • Patricia A. Tester,
  • R. Wayne Litaker,
  • Zouher Amzil and
  • Mireille Chinain
  • + 1 author

21 December 2017

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is a foodborne disease caused by the consumption of seafood (fish and marine invertebrates) contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs) produced by dinoflagellates in the genus Gambierdiscus. The report of a CFP-like mass-pois...

  • Article
  • Open Access
12 Citations
5,736 Views
14 Pages

High Affinity Binding of Escherichia coli Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 (CNF1) to Lu/BCAM Adhesion Glycoprotein

  • Franziska Reppin,
  • Sylvie Cochet,
  • Wassim El Nemer,
  • Günter Fritz and
  • Gudula Schmidt

21 December 2017

The protein toxin Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 (CNF1) is a major virulence factor of pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. It belongs to a family of single chain AB-toxins, which enter mammalian cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Recently, we i...

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Toxins - ISSN 2072-6651