What type of organism is Gambierdiscus Toxicus?
Gambierdiscus is a genus of marine dinoflagellates that produce ciguatoxins, a type of toxin that causes the foodborne illness known as ciguatera. They are usually epiphytic on macroalgae growing on coral reefs.
What causes Gambierdiscus Toxicus?
About Ciguatera Ciguatera fish poisoning (or ciguatera) is an illness caused by eating fish that contain toxins produced by a marine microalgae called Gambierdiscus toxicus. People who have ciguatera may experience nausea, vomiting, and neurologic symptoms such as tingling fingers or toes.
Where is Gambierdiscus toxicus found?
This species can be found in tropical and subtropical regions in Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. It is often found at the surface of various macroalgae, dead coral, sand and in water column suggesting that the certain chemical compounds in algal exudates may plays an important role in the process of attachment .
What are possible causes of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning?
CAUSATIVE AGENT: Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP) is caused by the consumption of molluscan shellfish (e.g. clams, oysters, coquinas, mussels and other filter feeders) contaminated with brevetoxins, which are produced by a marine dinoflagellate called Karenia brevis.
Is Gambierdiscus Toxicus algae?
Ciguatoxin is the commonest form of fish poisoning in the tropics. It is produced by a dinoflagellate, Gambierdiscus toxicus, loosely attached to algae on coral reefs.
Is Gambierdiscus Toxicus a bacteria?
As a QS bacterium, when the community achieved certain density, the expression of specific genes could be activated and resulted in different microbial behaviors [31]. Therefore, the QS-regulated behavior is highly suspected to lead to different effects on Gambierdiscus.
What is neurotoxic poisoning?
Neurotoxicity occurs when the exposure to natural or manmade toxic substances (neurotoxicants) alters the normal activity of the nervous system. This can eventually disrupt or even kill neurons, key cells that transmit and process signals in the brain and other parts of the nervous system.
What organism causes paralytic shellfish poisoning?
Causes. Paralytic shellfish poisoning is caused from the ingestion of toxin-contaminated bivalve shellfish and crustaceans. Algal blooms of dinoflagellates, usually during the warmer months of June to October, result in toxin accumulation in filter feeders such as bivalves.
What are neurotoxic effects?
Neurotoxicity is defined as any adverse effect on the structure or function of the central and peripheral nervous systems at the result of a diversity of biological, chemical, or physical agents.
What substances are neurotoxic?
Some examples of substances that can be neurotoxic to humans include:
- Chemotherapy drugs that are used to kill fast growing cells.
- Radiation.
- Drug therapies or drugs of abuse.
- Heavy metals such as mercury and lead.
- Certain foods and food additives.
- Insecticides/pesticides.
- Cosmetics.
- Industrial and cleaning solvents.
What are the ecological impacts of paralytic shellfish poisoning?
With extensive exposure to PSTs, the toxin causes subsequent paralysis in the muscles. Therefore, PSTs prevent fish from effectively foraging or avoiding predators. Ultimately, the most common result of the toxicity is death. Fish mortality associated with PSTs have been reported worldwide.
How many species of Gambierdiscus are there in the world?
Which was split into five different species ( Gambierdiscus caribaeus, Gambierdiscus carolinianus, Gambierdiscus carpenteri, Gambierdiscus ruetzleri and Gambierdiscus toxicus) according to their morphological characteristic of thecal structure, and the sequence of both D1–D3 and D8–D10 regions in large-subunit rDNA.
What kind of toxins does Gambierdiscus toxicus produce?
Gambierdiscus toxicus is a species of dinoflagellates that can cause ciguatera, and is known to produce several polyether marine toxins, including ciguatoxin, maitotoxin, gambieric acid, and gambierol. The species was discovered attached to the surface of brown macroalgae in the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia. Notes
What kind of cell does a Gambierdiscus have?
They are usually epiphytic on macroalgae growing on coral reefs. Gambierdiscus cells generally have a lenticular shape with a depression on the ventral side of the cell, from where the two dissimilar flagella arise.
Where does the dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus grow in the ocean?
The marine dinoflagellate genus Gambierdiscus occurs globally in tropic and subtropic regions. It mainly grows attached to macroalgae and coralline turfalgae. Thus, it does not form visible surface blooms like many other harmful dinoflagellate species (red tides).