PARALYTIC SHELLFISH TOXINS AND X ENOBIOTIC METABOLISING ENZYMES IN ARTIFICIALLY INTOXICATED ATLANTIC SALMON (SALMO SALAR)

• Main Authors: Matt J. Gubbins, F. Brian Eddy, Susan Gallacher, Ron M. Stagg
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Washburn; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.575.5512; http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/congress/2000/Papers/toxicologypdf/gubbins.pdf

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) are a group of potent n urotoxins produced by toxic strains of dinoflagellates. Exposure of fish to such toxins can result in fish kills (White, 1977) and other deleterious effects in marine food webs (Geraci et al. 1989). A greater understanding of the precise fate of PSTs in marine organisms is therefore required. Studies in this field to date have focussed on the dynamics of PST depuration from bivalve molluscs (Bri elj and Shumway 1998), yet little is known of the mechanisms responsible for eliminating these toxins from fish. It has been suggested that x nobio ic metabolising enzymes (XMEs) may be involved in the metabolism of algal toxins (Washburn et al. 1996). Intra-peritoneal (ip) exposure of salmon (Salmo salar) to saxitoxin (STX) has been shown to effect the induction of cyt chrome P-4501A, a phase I XME, as measured by 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity (Stagg et al. 1998). Investigated here is the potential role of the phase II XME glutathione S-transferase (GST) in PST metabolism. GSTs catalyse the conjugation of reduced glutathione (GSH) to electrophilic centres on substrates. This activity is