Anatoxin-a
 |
|
 |
|
| Names | |
|---|---|
|
IUPAC name
1-{9-azabicyclo[4.2.1]non-2-en-2-yl}ethan-1-one
|
|
| Other names
Anatoxin A
|
|
| Identifiers | |
64285-06-9 
|
|
| 3D model (Jmol) | Interactive image |
| ChEMBL |
ChEMBL25619
|
| ChemSpider |
381822
|
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.215.761 |
| KEGG |
C10841
|
| PubChem | 431734 |
|
|
|
|
| Properties | |
| C10H15NO | |
| Molar mass | 165.232 |
|
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
|
|
 (what is  ?) |
|
| Infobox references | |
Anatoxin-a, also known as Very Fast Death Factor (VFDF), is a secondary, bicyclic amine alkaloid and cyanotoxin with acute neurotoxicity. It was first discovered in the early 1960s in Canada, and was isolated in 1972. The toxin is produced by seven different genera of cyanobacteria and has been reported in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand. Symptoms of anatoxin exposure include loss of coordination, muscular fasciculations, convulsions and death by respiratory paralysis. Its mode of action is through the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchR) where it mimics the binding of the receptor's natural ligand, acetylcholine. As such, anatoxin-a has been used for medicinal purposes to investigate diseases characterized by low acetylcholine levels. Due to its high toxicity and potential presence in drinking water, anatoxin-a poses a threat to animals, including humans. While methods for detection and water treatment exist, scientists have called for more research to improve reliability and efficacy. Anatoxin-a is not to be confused with anatoxin-a(S), another potent cyanotoxin that has a similar mechanism of action to that of anatoxin-a and is produced by many of the same cyanobacteria genera, but is structurally unrelated.
Anatoxin-a was first discovered by P.R Gorham in the early 1960s, after several herds of cattle died as a result of drinking water from Saskatchewan Lake in Canada, which contained toxic algal blooms. It was later isolated (1972) by J.P. Devlin from the cyanobacteria Anabaena flos aquae.
In 1977, Carmichael, Gorham, and Biggs experimented with anatoxin-a. They introduced toxic cultures of Anabaena flos aquae into the stomachs of two young male calves, and observed that muscular fasciculations and loss of coordination occurred in a matter of minutes, while death due to respiratory failure occurred anywhere between several minutes and a few hours. They also established that extensive periods of artificial respiration did not allow for detoxification to occur and natural neuromuscular functioning to resume. From these experiments, they calculated that the oral minimum lethal dose (MLD) (of the algae, not the anatoxin molecule), for calves is roughly 420 mg/kg body weight.
...
Wikipedia