TL;DR: Although controversial, increasing in vivo and in vitro evidence suggest a link between the ingestion of l-beta-N-methylamino-l-alanine and the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism-dementia complex, a neurodegenerative disease.
TL;DR: Results demonstrate that the lipopeptide ATX is an activator of voltage-gated sodium channels, and resemble those of brevetoxins that produce neural insult through depolarization-evoked Na+ load, glutamate release, relief of Mg2+ block of NMDA receptors, and Ca2 + influx.
Abstract: Antillatoxin (ATX) is a lipopeptide derived from the pantropical marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula. ATX is neurotoxic in primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule cells, and this neuronal death is prevented by either N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists or tetrodotoxin. To further explore the potential interaction of ATX with voltage-gated sodium channels, we assessed the influence of tetrodotoxin on ATX-induced Ca2+ influx in cerebellar granule cells. The rapid increase in intracellular Ca2+ produced by ATX (100 nM) was antagonized in a concentration-dependent manner by tetrodotoxin. Additional, more direct, evidence for an interaction with voltage-gated sodium channels was derived from the ATX-induced allosteric enhancement of [3H]batrachotoxin binding to neurotoxin site 2 of the α subunit of the sodium channel. ATX, moreover, produced a strong synergistic stimulation of [3H]batrachotoxin binding in combination with brevetoxin, which is a ligand for neurotoxin site 5 on the voltage-gated sodium channel. Positive allosteric interactions were not observed between ATX and either α-scorpion toxin or the pyrethroid deltamethrin. That ATX interaction with voltage-gated sodium channels produces a gain of function was demonstrated by the concentration-dependent and tetrodotoxin-sensitive stimulation of 22Na+ influx in cerebellar granule cells exposed to ATX. Together these results demonstrate that the lipopeptide ATX is an activator of voltage-gated sodium channels. The neurotoxic actions of ATX therefore resemble those of brevetoxins that produce neural insult through depolarization-evoked Na+ load, glutamate release, relief of Mg2+ block of NMDA receptors, and Ca2 + influx.
TL;DR: Curacin-A, antillatoxin and kalkitoxin, natural products from the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula, were tested for neurotoxicity in primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule neurons and neurotoxicity was prevented by the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonists dextrorphan and MK-801.
TL;DR: In this article, the vibrational spectrum of Antillatoxin was analyzed using density functional theory in the presence of methylene, carboxyl acid, and phenyl cycle.
Abstract: Antillatoxin (ATX) is a potent lipopeptide neurotoxin produced by the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula. ATX activates voltage–gated sodium channels, which can cause cell depolarisation, NMDA–receptor over activity, excess calcium influx and neuronal necrosis. Parameters such as FT–IR and Raman vibrational wavelengths and intensities for single crystal Antillatoxin are calculated using density functional theory and were compared with empirical results. The investigation about vibrational spectrum of cycle dimers in crystal with carboxyl groups from each molecule of acid was shown that it leads to create Hydrogen bonds for adjacent molecules. The current study aimed to investigate the possibility of simulating the empirical values. Analysis of vibrational spectrum of Antillatoxin is performed based on theoretical simulation and FT–IR empirical spectrum and Raman empirical spectrum using density functional theory in levels of HF/6–31G*, HF/6–31++G**, MP2/6–31G, MP2/6–31++G**, BLYP/6–31G, BLYP/6–31++G**, B3LYP/6–31G and B3LYP6–31–HEG**. Vibration modes of methylene, carboxyl acid and phenyl cycle are separately investigated. The obtained values confirm high accuracy and validity of results obtained from calculations.