Occurrence and Seasonal Monitoring of Domoic Acid in Three Shellfish Species from the Northern Adriatic Sea

As filter feeders, bivalves and ascidians can accumulate contaminants present in the environment and pass them on to higher food chain levels as vectors. The consumption of bivalves contaminated with the potent neurotoxin domoic acid (DA) can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans. The aim of this study was to determine seasonal differences in occurrence and accumulation of this phycotoxin in European oysters (Ostrea edulis Linnaeus, 1758) (n = 46), Queen scallops (Aequipecten opercularis Linnaeus, 1758) (n = 53), and edible ascidians of the Microcosmus spp. (n = 107), originating from the same harvesting area in the Northern Adriatic Sea. The quantification was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) preceded by derivatization with dansyl chloride. DA was found in very low concentrations throughout the year, with a maximum value of 810 μg/kg in Queen scallops. This study reveals differences in the occurrence and accumulation of DA between Queen scallops and the other two investigated species (oysters and ascidians) and the highest concentrations during the colder part of the year. Even though DA was detected in all of them, Queen scallops showed higher DA accumulation compared to the other two (p < 0.001), hence representing a sentinel species suitable for the monitoring of DA level in seafood.

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Toxicity of the Diatom Genus Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae): Insights from Toxicity Tests and Genetic Screening in the Northern Adriatic Sea

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins14010060 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 60

Author(s):

Timotej Turk Dermastia ◽

Sonia Dall’Ara ◽

Jožica Dolenc ◽

Patricija Mozetič

Keyword(s):

Liquid Chromatography ◽

High Performance ◽

Adriatic Sea ◽

Visible Spectrum ◽

Toxicity Tests ◽

Shellfish Poisoning ◽

Northern Adriatic Sea ◽

Northern Adriatic ◽

Spectrum Detection ◽

Diatom Genus

Diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia H.Peragallo are known to produce domoic acid (DA), a toxin involved in amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). Strains of the same species are often classified as both toxic and nontoxic, and it is largely unknown whether this difference is also genetic. In the Northern Adriatic Sea, there are virtually no cases of ASP, but DA occasionally occurs in shellfish samples. So far, three species—P. delicatissima (Cleve) Heiden, P. multistriata (H. Takano) H. Takano, and P. calliantha Lundholm, Moestrup, & Hasle—have been identified as producers of DA in the Adriatic Sea. By means of enzme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high-performance liquid chromatography with UV and visible spectrum detection (HPLC-UV/VIS), and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we reconfirmed the presence of DA in P. multistriata and P. delicatissima and detect for the first time in the Adriatic Sea DA in P. galaxiae Lundholm, & Moestrup. Furthermore, we attempted to answer the question of the distribution of DA production among Pseudo-nitzschia species and strains by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) phylogenetic marker and the dabA DA biosynthesis gene and coupling this with toxicity data. Results show that all subclades of the Pseudo-nitzschia genus contain toxic species and that toxicity appears to be strain dependent, often with geographic partitioning. Amplification of dabA was successful only in toxic strains of P. multistriata and the presence of the genetic architecture for DA production in non-toxic strains was thus not confirmed.

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First cases of diarrhoetic shellfish poisoning in the Northern Adriatic Sea

Marine Coastal Eutrophication ◽

10.1016/b978-0-444-89990-3.50038-9 ◽

1992 ◽

pp. 419-426 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

L. Boni ◽

L. Mancini ◽

A. Milandri ◽

R. Poletti ◽

M. Pompei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adriatic Sea ◽

Shellfish Poisoning ◽

Northern Adriatic Sea ◽

Northern Adriatic

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A new species of Streblospio (Polychaeta: Spionidae) from the northern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4742.1.10 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4742 (1) ◽

pp. 149-167

Author(s):

CRISTINA MUNARI ◽

MARION A. WOLF ◽

VANESSA INFANTINI ◽

ISABELLA MORO ◽

ADRIANO SFRISO ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Adriatic Sea ◽

The Other ◽

Coi Gene ◽

Northern Adriatic Sea ◽

Po River ◽

Northern Adriatic ◽

Marine Habitats ◽

A New Species

The present study describes a new species of spionid polychaete, Streblospio eridani n. sp., from the Italian coasts of the Northern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea). This new spionid species was recorded from shallow lagoon and marine habitats: the soft bottoms of the Sacca di Goro (Po River Delta), on October 2017, and the Lido di Dante (Emilia Romagna), between 2016 and 2017. The re-assessment of spionid specimens from other lagoon systems (the Valli di Comacchio and the Valle di Gorino) led us to recognize the presence of this species in the northern Adriatic Sea since 2009. Streblospio eridani n. sp. had low occurrence and density at the marine site Lido di Dante and at the lagoon sites Valli di Comacchio and Valle di Gorino; whereas it reached the highest density of 21,213.3 ind. m-2 at the Sacca di Goro. Morphologically this new species is characterized by dorsal (occipital) papilla on the first chaetiger, sabre chaetae and hooded hooks first appearing on chaetigers 7, hooks with 4-5 pairs of small secondary teeth, pygidium with ventral lappets, and brooding branchiate structures between chaetigers 13 and 28. In the phylogenetic reconstruction, based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, the Adriatic taxon results clearly indicate that this is distinct from the other species of the genus and formed a well-supported clade with other Streblospio sp. specimens from India. Nucleotide divergences calculated between the Adriatic specimens and the other Streblospio species are higher than the intraspecific range reported for the genus and support the description of a new species. Morphological characters important for differentiation of the new species herein described from congeneric species are discussed and an updated key for Streblospio species is provided.

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Toxins from Adriatic blue mussels. A decade of studies

Pure and Applied Chemistry ◽

10.1351/pac200375020325 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 75 (2-3) ◽

pp. 325-336 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Patrizia Ciminiello ◽

Carmela Dell'Aversano ◽

Ernesto Fattorusso ◽

Martino Forino ◽

Silvana Magno

Keyword(s):

Adriatic Sea ◽

2D Nmr ◽

Shellfish Poisoning ◽

Northern Adriatic Sea ◽

Northern Adriatic ◽

Marine Biotoxins ◽

Full Structure ◽

Nmr Techniques ◽

New Type ◽

Structural Hypothesis

A research program was initiated in 1990 to carefully examine the toxin profiles in mussels from the northern Adriatic Sea. Since then, a number of polyether toxins have been isolated and characterized, some of which represent new additions to the diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) class of biotoxins and seem to be peculiar to the Adriatic Sea. During our investigation of toxic Adriatic mussels, we also isolated a new type of toxin, whose structure was elucidated by extensive use of 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Some of them could represent a further alarm for public health owing to their cytotoxic activity. The recent application of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) methods for detection of Adriatic marine biotoxins allowed us to hasten the analysis of toxic samples and to advance effective structural hypothesis even when full structure elucidation of new toxins by NMR spectroscopy is hampered by the limited amount of available material.

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Long Term Memory Outcome of Repetitive, Low-Level Dietary Exposure to Domoic Acid in Native Americans

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18083955 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 3955

Author(s):

Lynn M. Grattan ◽

Laura Kaddis ◽

J. Kate Tracy ◽

John Glenn Morris

Keyword(s):

Native Americans ◽

Domoic Acid ◽

Dietary Exposure ◽

Long Term Memory ◽

Shellfish Poisoning ◽

Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning ◽

The Pacific ◽

Small Decline ◽

Speed And Accuracy

Domoic acid (DA) is a marine-based neurotoxin that, if ingested via tainted shellfish, is associated with Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP). These acute effects of elevated DA exposure in humans have been well described. In contrast, the long-term impacts of lower level, repetitive, presumably safe doses of DA (less than 20 ppm) are minimally known. Since Native Americans (NA) residing in coastal communities of the Pacific NW United States are particularly vulnerable to DA exposure, this study focuses on the long-term, 8-year memory outcome associated with their repeated dietary consumption of the neurotoxin. Measures of razor clam consumption, memory, clerical speed and accuracy, and depression were administered over eight years to 500 randomly selected adult NA men and women ages 18–64. Data were analyzed using GEE analyses taking into consideration the year of study, demographic factors, and instrumentation in examining the association between dietary exposure and outcomes. Findings indicated a significant but small decline in total recall memory within the context of otherwise stable clerical speed and accuracy and depression scores. There is reason to believe that a continuum of memory difficulties may be associated with DA exposure, rather than a unitary ASP syndrome.

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Characterization of the Domoic Acid Uptake Mechanism of the Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) Digestive Gland

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins13070458 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 458

Author(s):

Juan Blanco ◽

Carmen Mariño ◽

Helena Martín ◽

Gonzalo Álvarez ◽

Araceli E. Rossignoli

Keyword(s):

Digestive Gland ◽

Domoic Acid ◽

Mytilus Galloprovincialis ◽

Metabolic Inhibitor ◽

Acid Uptake ◽

Free Medium ◽

Shellfish Poisoning ◽

Uptake Mechanism ◽

Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning

Cultures of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis are frequently affected by accumulation of the amnesic shellfish poisoning toxin domoic acid (DA). This species is characterized by a fast uptake and release of the toxin. In this work, the main characteristics of the uptake mechanism have been studied by incubation of digestive gland thin slices in media with different composition and DA concentration. DA uptake seems to follow Michaelis–Menten kinetics, with a very high estimated KM (1722 µg DA mL−1) and a Vmax of 71.9 µg DA g−1 h−1, which is similar to those found for other amino acids in invertebrates. Replacement of NaCl from the incubation media by Cl-choline (Na+-free medium) did not significantly reduce the uptake, but replacement by sorbitol (Na+-free and Cl−-depleted medium) did. A new experiment replacing all chlorides with their equivalent gluconates (Na+- and Cl−-free medium) showed an important reduction in the uptake that should be attributed to the absence of chloride, pointing to a Na+-independent, Cl− (or anion-) dependent transporter. In media with Na+ and Cl−, neither decreasing the pH nor adding cyanide (a metabolic inhibitor) had significant effect on DA uptake, suggesting that the transport mechanism is not H+- or ATP-dependent. In a chloride depleted medium, lowering pH or adding CN increased the uptake, suggesting that other anions could, at least partially, substitute chloride.

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