1 / 12

The Puffer Fish & Tetrodotoxin

The Puffer Fish & Tetrodotoxin. Diane Duby April 20, 2005. Photo from: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ttx/ttxc.htm. Fugu. Salt water, worldwide Defenses, inflates several times their normal size Tissues contain Tetrodotoxin (TTX), especially in liver and gonads Delicacy in Japan.

allene
Download Presentation

The Puffer Fish & Tetrodotoxin

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Puffer Fish & Tetrodotoxin Diane Duby April 20, 2005 Photo from: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ttx/ttxc.htm

  2. Fugu • Salt water, worldwide • Defenses, inflates several times their normal size • Tissues contain Tetrodotoxin (TTX), especially in liver and gonads • Delicacy in Japan Photo from: http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~hmn02837/takara.htm

  3. Consumption • Long history (2,000 years), unknown origin • Series of banning and allowing consumption • Must be prepared by licensed chefs • Only delicacy forbidden to Emperor of Japan for his safety Photo from: http://www.terebess.hu/keletkultinfo/fugu.html

  4. Consumption continued • Over fishing • Farmed • Prices rise in fall and winter • 10,000 tons consumed each year • One meal can cost up to $200 • Becoming more common (prepared) in grocery stores Photo from: http://joi.typepad.com/photos/karatsukunchi03/dsc05423.html

  5. Tetrodotoxin • Potent neurotoxin • Named after fish Teratodoniformes = “four toothed” • Blocks Na+ channels on surface of nerve membranes • Found in other organisms Photos from: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ttx/ttxc.htm

  6. Poison • A single milligram of pure TTX can kill an adult (size of a pin head) • No antidote • 100 times as lethal as black widow, 10,000 times more than cyanide in mice • Three stages • Numbness in lips and tongue • Increasing paralysis • Death can occur in 3-6 hours Photo from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pufferfish

  7. Statistics • From 1974-83 there were 646 reported cases of fugu poisoning in Japan, 179 fatalities • 200 cases per year, 50% mortality • Little as 1.4 ounce consumption • Few cases in US Photo from: http://www.rakuten.co.jp/dream-f/494896/547914/

  8. Origins of Tetrodotoxin • Bacteriological/ Endosymbiotic • Puffer fish grown in culture do not produce TTX unless fed tissues of TTX producing fish • Octopus contains TTX producing bacteria • Puffer fish acquired mutation in Na+ channel receptors, makes them immune Photo from: http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ttx/ttxc.htm

  9. Toxin and Cancer • Pain therapy for patients who no longer respond to other medications • Canada- Tectin, originally developed for heroin addiction • In final phase of market approval available 2006 • Non drowsy, non addictive, long lasting • Minor side effects- numbness, tingling Photo from: http://www.ucalgary.ca/oncampus/weekly/oct1-04/hagen-biotoxin.html

  10. Fugu Genome Project • Initiated in 1990, International Fugu Genome Consortium formed in 2000 • Only 390 Mb • 95% complete draft sequence • Model for gene discovery • Annotate human and other vertebrate genomes Photo from: http://sdmc.i2r.a-star.edu.sg/~limsoon/gifs/03/CourtyardPosters/venki-aug02.jpg

  11. Questions? Photo from: http://www.eurekalert.org/features/doe/2001-10/dbnl-gpd061802.php

  12. Works Cited Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology. Fugu: A compact reference vertebrate genome.” 2001. 14 April 05. Available at <http://www.fugu-sg.org>. Johnson, Jim. “Tetradotoxin, an ancient alkaloid from the sea.” 05 Jan 02. 17 April 05. Available at <http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ttx/ttx.htm>. Sowerbutt, Claire. “Puffer fish toxin could change the treatment of cancer pain.” 01 Oct 04. 17 April 05. Available at <http://www.pulsemed.org/puffer-fish-toxin-cancer-pain.htm>. Wikipedia. “Pufferfish.” 11 April 05. 17 April 05. Available at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pufferfish>. Yoshizuka, Setsuko. “Fugu-blow fish, the world’s most deadly feast?” 17 April 05. Available at <http://japanesefood.about.com/cs/seafoodfish/a/fugublowfish.htm>.

More Related