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出典:『Wikipedia』 (2011/04/05 02:27 UTC 版)

英語による解説

引用

Saxitoxin (STX) is a neurotoxin naturally produced by certain species of marine dinoflagellates (Alexandrium sp., Gymnodinium sp., Pyrodinium sp.) and cyanobacteria (Anabaena sp., some Aphanizomenon spp., Cylindrospermopsis sp., Lyngbya sp., Planktothrix sp.). Ingestion of saxitoxin (usually through shellfish contaminated by toxic algal blooms) is responsible for the human illness known as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). In fact, the term saxitoxin originates from the species name of the butter clam (Saxidomus giganteus) in which it was first recognized. Saxitoxin, one of the most potent natural toxins known, acts on the voltage-gated sodium channels of nerve cells, preventing normal cellular function and leading to paralysis. The term saxitoxin can also refer to the entire suite of related neurotoxins produced by these microorganisms, which include pure saxitoxin (STX), neosaxitoxin (neoSTX), the gonyautoxins (GTX) and decarbamoylsaxitoxin (dcSTX). Detection of saxitoxin in shellfish such as mussels, clams and scallops frequently leads to closures of commercial and recreational shellfish harvesting, especially in California, Oregon, Washington, and New England.