Isolation and structure determination of a new marine toxin, neosurugatoxin, from the Japanese Ivory Shell, Babylonia japonica.

✍ Scribed by Takuo Kosuge; Kuniro Tsuji; Koichi Hirai; Kentaro Yamaguchi; Toshihiko Okamoto; Yoichi Iitaka

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 228 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0040-4039
• DOI: 10.1016/s0040-4039(01)81920-1

✦ Synopsis

A new toxin, named neosurugatoxin, was isolated from the toxic japanese Ivory Shell and its structure was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis.

We previously reported 1) that surugatoxin(i) was the causative agent of intoxication resulting from ingestion of the toxic Japanese Ivory Shell.

Subsequently pharmacological studies on the toxin showed that surugatoxin specifically inhibits nicotinic receptors in autonomic ganglia.2-7) This paper describes the isolation and structure determination of a new toxin isolated from the Japanese Ivory Shell, which has about one hundred times greater antinicotinic activity than does surugatoxin.

surugatoxin(1) Shellfish containing surugatoxin was used as a source of material, and purification was followed by measuring activity to evoke mydriasis in mice. The mid-gut gland of the shellfish was extracted with 1% AcOH and proteins and fats were removed by the procedures described previously. 1) The extract was concentrated under reduced pressure at 30°C and subjected to gel filtration on a Sephadex G-25 column using water acidified to pH 3.9 with AcOH as eluant. Active fractions were pooled and lyophilized.

The material was then applied to a CM-

7,12

(lH,dd,J=7.9, 1.8Hz).

9) Crystallographic

coordinates have been deposited with the Cambrige CrYstallographic Data Centre.