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. 2013 May 15;11(5):1583-601.
doi: 10.3390/md11051583.

Influence of environmental factors on the paralytic shellfish toxin content and profile of Alexandrium catenella (Dinophyceae) isolated from the Mediterranean Sea

Mohamed Laabir  1 , Yves Collos, Estelle Masseret, Daniel Grzebyk, Eric Abadie, Véronique Savart, Manoella Sibat, Zouher Amzil
Affiliations

Influence of environmental factors on the paralytic shellfish toxin content and profile of Alexandrium catenella (Dinophyceae) isolated from the Mediterranean Sea

Mohamed Laabir et al. Mar Drugs. .

Abstract

Laboratory experiments were designed to study the toxin content and profile of the Alexandrium catenella strain ACT03 (isolated from Thau Lagoon, French Mediterranean) in response to abiotic environmental factors under nutrient-replete conditions. This dinoflagellate can produce various paralytic shellfish toxins with concentrations ranging from 2.9 to 50.3 fmol/cell. The toxin profile was characterized by carbamate toxins (GTX3, GTX4 and GTX5) and N-sulfocarbamoyl toxins (C1, C2, C3 and C4). C2 dominated at 12-18 °C, but only for salinities ranging from 10 to 25 psu, whereas GTX5 became dominant at temperatures ranging from 21 to 30 °C at almost all salinities. There was no significant variation in the cellular toxin amount from 18 °C to 27 °C for salinities ranging between 30 and 40 psu. At salinities of 10 to 25 psu, the toxin concentrations always remained below 20 fmol/cell. Toxin content was stable for irradiance ranging from 10 to 70 μmol photons/m2/s then slightly increased. Overall, the toxin profile was more stable than the toxin content (fmol/cell), except for temperature and/or salinity values different from those recorded during Alexandrium blooms in Thau Lagoon.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Common structure of paralytic shellfish toxins.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Toxin content (fmol/cell) and toxin profile of Alexandrium catenella grown at various combinations of temperature and salinity conditions. nd: toxins were not detected in the examined cells; nG: since cells did not grow, toxin content could not be analyzed.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Total toxin content (fmol/cell) of Alexandrium catenella grown at various combinations of temperature and salinity.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Toxin content (fmol/cell) of Alexandrium catenella as a function of irradiance. Cells were grown at a temperature of 20 °C and a salinity of 38 psu.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Relationship between maximum growth rate (day−1) and toxin content (fmol/cell) at (A) different combinations of temperatures (12, 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30 °C) and salinities (10, 15, 20, 30, 35 and 40 psu) and at (B) different irradiances (10, 30, 50, 70, 90, 130, 200, 260 μmol photons/m2/s); temperature was 20 °C and salinity was 38 psu.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Thau Lagoon and the Angle Creek where Alexandrium blooms develop.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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