Tetrodotoxin By: shaun and julia

Some interesting questions… How does it work?  What happens when toxin enters body? How much is required to kill an adult male?  Why is it so deadly?  What is a neurotoxin?  What main biomolecules does it consist of?  What molecular group is it in?  What functional groups does it have? How does the molecule bond between other Tetrodotoxins?  Can this toxin be used in medicine?  Can you be saved from being poisoned?

The Structure Of Tetrodotoxin This is the structure of Tetrodotoxin

The Structure Of Tetrodotoxin Tetrodotoxin has: One amino group Five hydroxyl groups It is a positively charged Guanidinium group that is made up of 3 nitrogen atoms and a Pyrimidine ring with other fused ring systems It is a complex molecule but serves it purpose effectively

Small adventure into how nerves are fired using sodium channels… Effect on the Body Small adventure into how nerves are fired using sodium channels… Nerves use stored up amounts of sodium to create fast current within itself. This happens when the sodium “gate” is opened in the nerve causing all the sodium the flood from its original sport into the gate. This creates a polar charge on each side of the gate (+ where the sodium moved to,- where the sodium moved from). The sodium is then pulled back out of the gate to the negatively charge exterior. In the time that flood happens, a charge pulses through the nerve causing it to fire.

How does Tetrodotoxin work?? Effect on the Body How does Tetrodotoxin work?? Tetrodotoxin replaces the Sodium in the channel. The toxin is large enough so that it plugs the gate, rendering the nerve useless. Since the toxin targets the nervous system it is considered a neurotoxin This makes a dosage of 0.01 ml in the blood (the amount that would fit on the tip of a pin) enough to kill an adult male Through ingestion  25 milligrams are required to kill an adult

Effect on the Body The toxin interferes with neurotransmission When poisoned: first you would feel slight numbness in the lips and tongue. Then paresthesia (pins and needles) in the face and other body parts. At this point you could experience headaches, nausea and difficulty walking. Then paralysis starts to occur, this effects the respiratory system which then makes it harder to breathe. This results in cyanosis (skin turning blue) and hypertension (high blood pressure). Then there is mental impairment and cardiac problems, which eventually leads to death. (Not all cases result in fatality) Death occurs around 4-6 hours after digestion

Global Significance (Public Health) Tetrodotoxin is a very dangerous poison. It takes very little to kill an adult. There are about 50 deaths a year in Japan due to Tetrodotoxin poisoning. It is found in the liver, gonads and skin of puffer fish, which is considered a delicacy in Japan called fugu. There is no antidote for once it has been ingested. The only thing that could help is vomiting to empty the stomach. But, Tetrodotoxin is being looked into for positive uses. It is being investigated for the treatment of chronic pain in cancer patients and treating of opium addictions. Another study has shown that if it is combined with bupivacaine (a local anesthetic) it can make the effects last longer.

Some interesting questions… How does it work?  What happens when toxin enters body? How much is required to kill an adult male?  Why is it so deadly?  What is a neurotoxin?  What main biomolecules does it consist of?  What molecular group is it in?  What functional groups does it have? How does the molecule bond between other Tetrodotoxins?  Can this toxin be used in medicine? Can you be saved from being poisoned?

Some NEW interesting questions… How does it work?  What happens when toxin enters body? How much is required to kill an adult male?  Why is it so deadly?  What is a neurotoxin?  What main biomolecules does it consist of?  What molecular group is it in?  What functional groups does it have? How does the molecule bond between other Tetrodotoxins?  Can this toxin be used in medicine? Can you be saved from being poisoned?   Are there similar poisons found in other species of marine life? Is there a cure/resistance? What molecular group does it most closely resemble?  Can the toxin be extracted? Is Guanidinium in any way related to Guanine?

More Research…!

What produces Tetrodotoxin? After intensive research in the 1980’s, Japanese scientists discovered that no Fish or Squid that contain TTX actually produce it TTX is produced by marine bacteria that are consumed by species of fish and squid Many different marine animals such as Atelopid frogs, horseshoe crab eggs, skin of a toad fish also produce Tetrodotoxin

How do certain species keep this poison within their body? The sequence of the amino acids that make up the sodium gate are what decides whether the toxin is effective Fish that deliver this toxin, such as the Fugu vermicularis, have amino acids who’s sequence allows the gate to be insensitive to the toxin

Some NEW interesting questions… How does it work?  What happens when toxin enters body? How much is required to kill an adult male?  Why is it so deadly?  What is a neurotoxin?  What main biomolecules does it consist of?  What molecular group is it in?  What functional groups does it have? How does the molecule bond between other Tetrodotoxins?  Can this toxin be used in medicine? Can you be saved from being poisoned? Are there similar poisons found in other species of marine life? Is there a cure/resistance? What molecular group does it most closely resemble?  Can the toxin be extracted? Is Guanidinium in any way related to Guanine?

Sources: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/tetrodotoxin#section=Top http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ttx/ttx.htm http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/818763-overview#a5 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750019.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18941294 http://www.chemistrylearner.com/tetrodotoxin.html