Further characterization of glycine-containing microcystins from the McMurdo dry Valleys of Antarctica

Toxins (Basel). 2015 Feb 10;7(2):493-515. doi: 10.3390/toxins7020493.

Abstract

Microcystins are hepatotoxic cyclic peptides produced by several cyanobacterial genera worldwide. In 2008, our research group identified eight new glycine-containing microcystin congeners in two hydro-terrestrial mat samples from the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Eastern Antarctica. During the present study, high-resolution mass spectrometry, amino acid analysis and micro-scale thiol derivatization were used to further elucidate their structures. The Antarctic microcystin congeners contained the rare substitution of the position-1 ᴅ-alanine for glycine, as well as the acetyl desmethyl modification of the position-5 Adda moiety (3S-amino-9S-methoxy-2S,6,8S-trimethyl-10-phenyldeca-4E,6E-dienoic acid). Amino acid analysis was used to determine the stereochemistry of several of the amino acids and conclusively demonstrated the presence of glycine in the microcystins. A recently developed thiol derivatization technique showed that each microcystin contained dehydrobutyrine in position-7 instead of the commonly observed N-methyl dehydroalanine.

MeSH terms

  • Antarctic Regions
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Cyanobacteria / growth & development*
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Glycine / chemistry*
  • Microcystins / chemistry
  • Microcystins / isolation & purification*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Weight
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

  • Microcystins
  • Glycine