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Toxins
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Multi-Omics Study of Marine Toxins
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Multi-Omics Study of Marine Toxins

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine and Freshwater Toxins".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 July 2022) | Viewed by 19451

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Olga A. Koksharova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine toxins have attracted the attention of researchers due to their involvement in human intoxication. Toxins range from small molecules to high molecular weight proteins, and have unique chemical and biological features of scientific interest. Many of these substances can serve as useful research tools or molecular models for the development of new drugs and pesticides. Recent advances in omic technologies make it possible to characterize, in detail, marine toxins and their biological effects on prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Genomics, transcritomics, proteomics and metabolomics provide new insights into the evolution, distribution, and biological effects of various marine toxins. Important environmental toxins of marine origin are: domoic acid, kainic acid, saxitoxin, tetrodotoxin, and polyester polyketides such as brevetoxin, BMAA and others.

The purpose of this Special Issue of Toxins is to discuss various aspects of marine toxins’ distribution and evolution, the effect of toxins on gene transcription, and changes in the cellular proteomes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms by using “omics” technologies. Genomics and transcriptomics tell us about the structure, evolution and expression of the genome, proteomics provides information about the proteins present within cells, whilst metabolomics helps to identify and quantify the diversity of metabolites and metabolic networks within an organism and between different organisms. Competition between species for resourses (nutrients, light, etc) is the main factor structuring marine planktonic communities. Marine toxins can alter ecosystem processes, including primary production and nutrient cycling. It will be interesting to discuss the allelopathic functions of marine toxins because these molecules appear to target diverse and multiple physiological pathways in competitors.

Dr. Olga A. Koksharova
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxins is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • algae
  • allelopathy
  • allelochemicals
  • cyanobacteria
  • diatoms
  • ecological succession
  • genomics
  • gene expression
  • metabolomics
  • metabolic regulation
  • proteomics
  • secondary metabolites
  • toxins
  • transcriptomics
  • marine plankton
  • jellyfish
  • sea anemone
  • marine bacteria

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2057 KiB  
Article
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals MAPK/AMPK as a Key Regulator of the Inflammatory Response in PST Detoxification in Mytilus galloprovincialis and Argopecten irradians
by Chenfan Dong, Haiyan Wu, Guanchao Zheng, Jixing Peng, Mengmeng Guo and Zhijun Tan
Toxins 2022, 14(8), 516; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14080516 - 28 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2104
Abstract
Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) are an increasingly important source of pollution. Bivalves, as the main transmission medium, accumulate and metabolize PSTs while protecting themselves from damage. At present, the resistance mechanism of bivalves to PSTs is unclear. In this study, Mytilus galloprovincialis and [...] Read more.
Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) are an increasingly important source of pollution. Bivalves, as the main transmission medium, accumulate and metabolize PSTs while protecting themselves from damage. At present, the resistance mechanism of bivalves to PSTs is unclear. In this study, Mytilus galloprovincialis and Argopecten irradians were used as experimental shellfish species for in situ monitoring. We compared the inflammatory-related gene responses of the two shellfish during PSTs exposure by using transcriptomes. The results showed that the accumulation and metabolism rate of PSTs in M. galloprovincialis was five-fold higher than that in A. irradians. The inflammatory balance mechanism of M. galloprovincialis involved the co-regulation of the MAPK-based and AMPK-based anti-inflammatory pathways. A. irradians bore a higher risk of death because it did not have the balance system, and the regulation of apoptosis-related pathways such as the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway were upregulated. Taken together, the regulation of the inflammatory balance coincides with the ability of bivalves to cope with PSTs. Inflammation is an important factor that affects the metabolic pattern of PSTs in bivalves. This study provides new evidence to support the studies on the resistance mechanism of bivalves to PSTs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Omics Study of Marine Toxins)
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21 pages, 1002 KiB  
Article
Finding Species-Specific Extracellular Surface-Facing Proteomes in Toxic Dinoflagellates
by Kenrick Kai-yuen Chan, Hang-kin Kong, Sirius Pui-kam Tse, Zoe Chan, Pak-yeung Lo, Kevin W. H. Kwok and Samuel Chun-lap Lo
Toxins 2021, 13(9), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13090624 - 6 Sep 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3427
Abstract
As a sequel to our previous report of the existence of species-specific protein/peptide expression profiles (PEPs) acquired by mass spectrometry in some dinoflagellates, we established, with the help of a plasma-membrane-impermeable labeling agent, a surface amphiesmal protein extraction method (SAPE) to label and [...] Read more.
As a sequel to our previous report of the existence of species-specific protein/peptide expression profiles (PEPs) acquired by mass spectrometry in some dinoflagellates, we established, with the help of a plasma-membrane-impermeable labeling agent, a surface amphiesmal protein extraction method (SAPE) to label and capture species-specific surface proteins (SSSPs) as well as saxitoxins-producing-species-specific surface proteins (Stx-SSPs) that face the extracellular space (i.e., SSSPsEf and Stx-SSPsEf). Five selected toxic dinoflagellates, Alexandrium minutum, A. lusitanicum, A. tamarense, Gymnodinium catenatum, and Karenia mikimotoi, were used in this study. Transcriptomic databases of these five species were also constructed. With the aid of liquid chromatography linked-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and the transcriptomic databases of these species, extracellularly facing membrane proteomes of the five different species were identified. Within these proteomes, 16 extracellular-facing and functionally significant transport proteins were found. Furthermore, 10 SSSPs and 6 Stx-SSPs were identified as amphiesmal proteins but not facing outward to the extracellular environment. We also found SSSPsEf and Stx-SSPsEf in the proteomes. The potential functional correlation of these proteins towards the production of saxitoxins in dinoflagellates and the degree of species specificity were discussed accordingly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Omics Study of Marine Toxins)
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15 pages, 5210 KiB  
Article
Monitoring Cyanobacterial Blooms during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Campania, Italy: The Case of Lake Avernus
by Roberta Teta, Gerardo Della Sala, Germana Esposito, Mariano Stornaiuolo, Silvia Scarpato, Marco Casazza, Aniello Anastasio, Massimiliano Lega and Valeria Costantino
Toxins 2021, 13(7), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13070471 - 8 Jul 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3632
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous photosynthetic microorganisms considered as important contributors to the formation of Earth’s atmosphere and to the process of nitrogen fixation. However, they are also frequently associated with toxic blooms, named cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs). This paper reports on an unusual [...] Read more.
Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous photosynthetic microorganisms considered as important contributors to the formation of Earth’s atmosphere and to the process of nitrogen fixation. However, they are also frequently associated with toxic blooms, named cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs). This paper reports on an unusual out-of-season cyanoHAB and its dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic, in Lake Avernus, South Italy. Fast detection strategy (FDS) was used to assess this phenomenon, through the integration of satellite imagery and biomolecular investigation of the environmental samples. Data obtained unveiled a widespread Microcystis sp. bloom in February 2020 (i.e., winter season in Italy), which completely disappeared at the end of the following COVID-19 lockdown, when almost all urban activities were suspended. Due to potential harmfulness of cyanoHABs, crude extracts from the “winter bloom” were evaluated for their cytotoxicity in two different human cell lines, namely normal dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7). The chloroform extract was shown to exert the highest cytotoxic activity, which has been correlated to the presence of cyanotoxins, i.e., microcystins, micropeptins, anabaenopeptins, and aeruginopeptins, detected by molecular networking analysis of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Omics Study of Marine Toxins)
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38 pages, 16094 KiB  
Article
β-N-Methylamino-L-Alanine (BMAA) Causes Severe Stress in Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 Cells under Diazotrophic Conditions: A Proteomic Study
by Olga A. Koksharova, Ivan O. Butenko, Olga V. Pobeguts, Nina A. Safronova and Vadim M. Govorun
Toxins 2021, 13(5), 325; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins13050325 - 30 Apr 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4302
Abstract
Non-proteinogenic neurotoxic amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is synthesized by cyanobacteria, diatoms, and dinoflagellates, and is known to be a causative agent of human neurodegenerative diseases. Different phytoplankton organisms’ ability to synthesize BMAA could indicate the importance of this molecule in the interactions between [...] Read more.
Non-proteinogenic neurotoxic amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is synthesized by cyanobacteria, diatoms, and dinoflagellates, and is known to be a causative agent of human neurodegenerative diseases. Different phytoplankton organisms’ ability to synthesize BMAA could indicate the importance of this molecule in the interactions between microalgae in nature. We were interested in the following: what kinds of mechanisms underline BMAA’s action on cyanobacterial cells in different nitrogen supply conditions. Herein, we present a proteomic analysis of filamentous cyanobacteria Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 cells that underwent BMAA treatment in diazotrophic conditions. In diazotrophic growth conditions, to survive, cyanobacteria can use only biological nitrogen fixation to obtain nitrogen for life. Note that nitrogen fixation is an energy-consuming process. In total, 1567 different proteins of Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 were identified by using LC-MS/MS spectrometry. Among them, 123 proteins belonging to different functional categories were selected—due to their notable expression differences—for further functional analysis and discussion. The presented proteomic data evidences that BMAA treatment leads to very strong (up to 80%) downregulation of α (NifD) and β (NifK) subunits of molybdenum-iron protein, which is known to be a part of nitrogenase. This enzyme is responsible for catalyzing nitrogen fixation. The genes nifD and nifK are under transcriptional control of a global nitrogen regulator NtcA. In this study, we have found that BMAA impacts in a total of 22 proteins that are under the control of NtcA. Moreover, BMAA downregulates 18 proteins that belong to photosystems I or II and light-harvesting complexes; BMAA treatment under diazotrophic conditions also downregulates five subunits of ATP synthase and enzyme NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase. Therefore, we can conclude that the disbalance in energy and metabolite amounts leads to severe intracellular stress that induces the upregulation of stress-activated proteins, such as starvation-inducible DNA-binding protein, four SOS-response enzymes, and DNA repair enzymes, nine stress-response enzymes, and four proteases. The presented data provide new leads into the ecological impact of BMAA on microalgal communities that can be used in future investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Omics Study of Marine Toxins)
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Review

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28 pages, 2843 KiB  
Review
Non-Proteinogenic Amino Acid β-N-Methylamino-L-Alanine (BMAA): Bioactivity and Ecological Significance
by Olga A. Koksharova and Nina A. Safronova
Toxins 2022, 14(8), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14080539 - 7 Aug 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4810
Abstract
Research interest in a non-protein amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) arose due to the discovery of a connection between exposure to BMAA and the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases. Previous reviews on this topic either considered BMAA as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases or [...] Read more.
Research interest in a non-protein amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) arose due to the discovery of a connection between exposure to BMAA and the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases. Previous reviews on this topic either considered BMAA as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases or focused on the problems of detecting BMAA in various environmental samples. Our review is devoted to a wide range of fundamental biological problems related to BMAA, including the molecular mechanisms of biological activity of BMAA and the complex relationships between producers of BMAA and the environment in various natural ecosystems. At the beginning, we briefly recall the most important facts about the producers of BMAA (cyanobacteria, microalgae, and bacteria), the pathways of BMAA biosynthesis, and reliable methods of identification of BMAA. The main distinctive feature of our review is a detailed examination of the molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of BMAA to living cells. A brand new aspect, not previously discussed in any reviews, is the effect of BMAA on cyanobacterial cells. These recent studies, conducted using transcriptomics and proteomics, revealed potent regulatory effects of BMAA on the basic metabolism and cell development of these ancient photoautotrophic prokaryotes. Exogenous BMAA strongly influences cell differentiation and primary metabolic processes in cyanobacteria, such as nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis, carbon fixation, and various biosynthetic processes involving 2-oxoglutarate and glutamate. Cyanobacteria were found to be more sensitive to exogenous BMAA under nitrogen-limited growth conditions. We suggest a hypothesis that this toxic diaminoacid can be used by phytoplankton organisms as a possible allelopathic tool for controlling the population of cyanobacterial cells during a period of intense competition for nitrogen and other resources in various ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multi-Omics Study of Marine Toxins)
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