Toxin Profile of Two Gymnodinium catenatum Strains from Iberian Coastal Waters

Joana F Leal; Gabriel Bombo; Hugo Pereira; Bernardo Vicente; Ana Amorim; Maria L S Cristiano

doi:10.3390/toxins14110762

Toxin Profile of Two Gymnodinium catenatum Strains from Iberian Coastal Waters

Toxins (Basel). 2022 Nov 4;14(11):762. doi: 10.3390/toxins14110762.

Authors

Joana F Leal¹, Gabriel Bombo², Hugo Pereira², Bernardo Vicente³, Ana Amorim³, Maria L S Cristiano¹

Affiliations

¹ Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR) and Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
² GreenCoLab, Green Ocean Association, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
³ Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente, Aquatic Research Network, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.

Abstract

Gymnodinium catenatum has been the main species responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning events along the Portuguese coast (Iberian Peninsula), causing bans on bivalve harvesting that result in huge economic losses. This work presents the characterization of two novel isolates of G. catenatum regarding their growth and toxin profiles. Laboratory growth experiments revealed that, although low growth rates were obtained during cultivation, the cell yields were high compared to those reported in the literature. Evaluation of the toxin profiles, by HPLC-FLD, essentially confirmed the typical composition of toxins of this regional population (Iberian Peninsula), namely, the absence or low representation of the toxins dcNEO, GTX1,4 and NEO and a higher ratio of the toxins C1,2, GTX6 and GTX5. However, the percentage of the identified toxins varied among the strains of this study (under the same isolation, growth, and analysis conditions), and also differed from that of other strains described in the literature. Interestingly, we found a comparatively high abundance of dcSTX in both strains, relative to the other toxins, and an unquantifiable amount of C3,4 toxins. In addition to the geographic relationship between toxin profiles, chemical conversions among toxins may explain some differences encountered in the toxin profiles of G. catenatum strains.

Keywords: Gymnodinium catenatum; PST bioconversion; bioprospection; paralytic shellfish toxins; toxic microalgae.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bivalvia* / chemistry
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Dinoflagellida*
Marine Toxins / analysis
Shellfish Poisoning* / etiology

Substances

Marine Toxins

Grants and funding

This study received funds from the project MAR-01.03.01-FEAMP-0049 co-financed by the Operational Program Mar 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union (EU), through the European Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Also, this study received funds from FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, through projects UIDB/04326/2020, UIDP/04326/2020 and LA/P/0101/2020 (CCMar), UIDB/04292/2020 awarded to MARE and through project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET. A. Amorim acknowledges funding through project HabWAVE – PTDC/CTA-AMB/31265/2017, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa, Programa Operacional Regional do Algarve e Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização do Portugal 2020 (LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-031265, ALG-01-0145-FEDER-031265, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031265). The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support. The APC was funded by the project MAR-01.03.01-FEAMP-0049 (DEPURATOX).