Deep-Water Fish Are Potential Vectors of Ciguatera Poisoning in the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia

Ciguatera poisoning (CP) cases linked to the consumption of deep-water fish occurred in 2003 in the Gambier Islands (French Polynesia). In 2004, on the request of two local fishermen, the presence of ciguatoxins (CTXs) was examined in part of their fish catches, i.e., 22 specimens representing five deep-water fish species. Using the radioactive receptor binding assay (rRBA) and mouse bioassay (MBA), significant CTX levels were detected in seven deep-water specimens in Lutjanidae, Serranidae, and Bramidae families. Following additional purification steps on the remaining liposoluble fractions for 13 of these samples (kept at −20 °C), these latter were reanalyzed in 2018 with improved protocols of the neuroblastoma cell-based assay (CBA-N2a) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Using the CBA-N2a, the highest CTX-like content found in a specimen of Eumegistus illustris (Bramidae) was 2.94 ± 0.27 µg CTX1B eq. kg−1. Its toxin profile consisted of 52-epi-54-deoxyCTX1B, CTX1B, and 54-deoxyCTX1B, as assessed by LC–MS/MS. This is the first study demonstrating that deep-water fish are potential ciguatera vectors and highlighting the importance of a systematic monitoring of CTXs in all exploited fish species, especially in ciguatera hotspots, including deep-water fish, which constitute a significant portion of the commercial deep-sea fisheries in many Asian–Pacific countries.

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Fast and Quantitative Phospholipidomic Analysis of SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cell Cultures Using Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry and 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

ACS Omega ◽

10.1021/acsomega.9b03463 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (25) ◽

pp. 21596-21603 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Martin Jakubec ◽

Espen Bariås ◽

Fedor Kryuchkov ◽

Linda Veka Hjørnevik ◽

Øyvind Halskau

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ◽

Liquid Chromatography ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Tandem Mass Spectrometry ◽

Cell Cultures ◽

Neuroblastoma Cell ◽

Tandem Mass ◽

Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry ◽

Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass

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Intraspecific Variability in the Toxin Production and Toxin Profiles of In Vitro Cultures of Gambierdiscus polynesiensis (Dinophyceae) from French Polynesia

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins11120735 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 735 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Sébastien Longo ◽

Manoella Sibat ◽

Jérôme Viallon ◽

Hélène Darius ◽

Philipp Hess ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neuroblastoma Cell ◽

Intraspecific Variability ◽

Toxin Production ◽

French Polynesia ◽

Stationary Growth ◽

Noticeable Increase ◽

Intraspecific Variations ◽

Geographic Origins ◽

Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass

Ciguatera poisoning (CP) is a foodborne disease caused by the consumption of seafood contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs) produced by dinoflagellates in the genera Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa. The toxin production and toxin profiles were explored in four clones of G. polynesiensis originating from different islands in French Polynesia with contrasted CP risk: RIK7 (Mangareva, Gambier), NHA4 (Nuku Hiva, Marquesas), RAI-1 (Raivavae, Australes), and RG92 (Rangiroa, Tuamotu). Productions of CTXs, maitotoxins (MTXs), and gambierone group analogs were examined at exponential and stationary growth phases using the neuroblastoma cell-based assay and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. While none of the strains was found to produce known MTX compounds, all strains showed high overall P-CTX production ranging from 1.1 ± 0.1 to 4.6 ± 0.7 pg cell−1. In total, nine P-CTX analogs were detected, depending on strain and growth phase. The production of gambierone, as well as 44-methylgamberione, was also confirmed in G. polynesiensis. This study highlighted: (i) intraspecific variations in toxin production and profiles between clones from distinct geographic origins and (ii) the noticeable increase in toxin production of both CTXs, in particular CTX4A/B, and gambierone group analogs from the exponential to the stationary phase.

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Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Determination of the Toxicity and Identification of Fish Species in a Suspected Tetrodotoxin Fish Poisoning

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-10-435 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 74 (5) ◽

pp. 789-795 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

YA-JUNG WU ◽

YING-JU CHENG ◽

HSIAO-CHIN JEN ◽

CHIH-HSIN PAN ◽

TZU-CHUN LIN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Liquid Chromatography ◽

Tandem Mass Spectrometry ◽

Cytochrome B ◽

Fish Species ◽

Cytochrome B Gene ◽

Tandem Mass ◽

Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry ◽

Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽

Puffer Fish

Suspected tetrodotoxin (TTX) poisoning was associated with eating unknown fish in April 2009 in Taiwan. After ingestion of the fish, symptoms of the victim included perioral paresthesia, nausea, vomiting, ataxia, weakness of all limbs, respiration failure, and death within several hours. The toxicity in the remaining fish was determined, with the mice exhibiting symptoms of neurotoxin poisoning. The implicated fish and deceased victim tissues were analyzed for TTX by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The urine, bile, cerebrospinal fluid (spinal cord), pleural effusion, and pericardial effusion of the victim contained TTX. In addition, the partial cytochrome b gene of the implicated fish was determined by PCR. The DNA sequence in the partial 465-bp cytochrome b gene identified the implicated fish as Chelonodon patoca (puffer fish). These results indicate that people should avoid eating unknown fish species from fish markets where harvested fish may include toxic species.

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