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. 2025 Dec:150:103003.
doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2025.103003. Epub 2025 Oct 16.

Identification of Gambierdiscus species from La Réunion and evaluation of toxicity and toxin profile

Lourdes Barreiro-Crespo  1 , Andres Sanchez-Henao  2 , Sandra Gimeno-Monforte  3 , Jaume Reverté  4 , Mònica Campàs  3 , María García-Altares  3 , Alina Tunin-Ley  5 , Fanny Maillot  5 , Cintia Flores  6 , Nicolas Chomérat  7 , Gwenaël Bilien  7 , Takeshi Tsumuraya  8 , Núria Fontanals  9 , Francesc Borrull  9 , Jean Turquet  5 , Jorge Diogène  3 , Maria Rambla-Alegre  10
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Free article

Identification of Gambierdiscus species from La Réunion and evaluation of toxicity and toxin profile

Lourdes Barreiro-Crespo et al. Harmful Algae. 2025 Dec.
Free article

Abstract

Five different species of Gambierdiscus have been identified in La Réunion (G. belizeanus, G. balechii, G. pacificus, G. silvae and G. ribotype 2) by morphological observations in Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis. Growth rates of cultures have also been evaluated showing values from 0.09 to 0.36 d-1. The toxicity and toxin profile of thirteen strains have been analysed by a multidisciplinary approach with Neuro-2a cell-based assay (CBA), magnetic bead-based immunoassay, liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and LC coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LCHRMS). G. balechii showed the highest toxicity by CBA (∼627 fg equiv. CTX1B·cell -1) followed by G. ribotype 2 (76 to 13 fg equiv. CTX1B·cell -1), G. balechii (63 to 7 fg equiv. CTX1B·cell -1), G. belizeanus (30 to 20 fg equiv. CTX1B·cell -1) and G. pacificus with values close to LOQ but not conclusive. The toxin profile for the 13 strains was evaluated by LC-MS/MS using seven different methods and being gambierone and 44-methylgambierone the two only known compounds, found in high concentrations in all samples. Gambierone was detected from 2.05 pg ·cell-1 in G. balechii (P-0414B) to 12.91 pg·cell-1 in G. balechii (P-0414A) and 44-methylgambierone was detected from 1.93 pg·cell-1 in G. belizeanus (P-0414B) to 14.95 pg·cell-1 in G. pacificus (P-0304). These samples were analysed also by LCHRMS, confirming gambierone and 44-methylgambierone the main compounds detected. Additionally, a potential polyether sulphur-containing compound corresponding to the novel molecular formula C62H94O23S ([M+NH4]+, m/z 1256.6234) were tentatively identified. This study combining morphological and molecular data is the first to mention such diversity in the area. It is also the first time that toxicity and toxin profile of Gambierdiscus from La Réunion have been evaluated.

Keywords: 44-methylgambierone; Ciguatera poisoning; Ciguatoxins; Gambierdiscus; Gambierone; La Réunion; Marine toxins.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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