Okadaic acid (OA) group toxins, including OA and its analogs, such as dinophysis toxins (DTXs), have been reported to cause diarrheal shellfish poisoning (DSP). These toxins are primarily produced by dinoflagellates and are accumulated in bivalves. Recently, the presence of Dinophysis sp., a causative alga of DSP, has been reported along the coasts of Korea, posing a potential risk of contamination to domestic seafood and exerting an impact on both the production and consumption of marine products. Accordingly, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have established standards for the permissible levels of OA group toxins in marine products for safety management. Additionally, in line with international initiatives, the domestic inclusion and regulation of DTX2 among the substances falling under the purview of management outlined by the 2022 diarrheal shellfish toxin standard have been implemented. In this study, we reviewed the physicochemical properties of OA group toxins, their various exposure routes (such as acute toxicity, genotoxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity), and the relative toxicity factors associated with these toxins. We also performed a comparative assessment of the methods employed for toxin analysis across different countries. Furthermore, we aimed to conduct a broad review of human exposure cases and assess the international guideline for risk management of OA group toxins.

In this study, heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and mercury) and shellfish poisoning toxins (diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins, amnesic shellfish poisoning toxins) were investigated in a total of 104 shellfishes. According to the analysis of heavy metals, lead (Pb) was detected in the range of 0.0177-0.5709 mg/kg, cadmium (Cd) was detected in the range of 0.0226-1.4602 mg/kg, and mercury (Hg) was detected in the range of 0.0015-0.0327 mg/kg. Levels of Pb, Cd, and Hg were acceptable by Korean standards. Okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1) were investigated for monitoring of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins and OA and DTX-1 were not detected. As a result of monitoring of amnesic shellfish poisoning toxins, domoic acid was detected in 5 of 104 samples and detection ratio was 4.8%. The detection period was found as follows; 1 case in January, 1 case in February, 1 case in May, 2 cases in September. These showed that continuous monitoring for the management of shellfish poisoning toxins and heavy metals is required. In addition, this study can be used as reference data to strengthen managing heavy metals in fishery products.

본 연구는 피레스로이드계 살충제인 퍼메트린이 Heliothis virescens의 중추신경세포의 나트륨채널에 어떻게 작용하는 가를 전기생리학적으 로 관찰하였다. 퍼메트린은 나트륨채널의 꼬리전류(INa-tail)를 지속적으로 증가시켰으며 이러한 비정상적인 나트륨 전류증가가 나방류의 신경계에 과도한 흥분을 일으겨 살충작용을 하는 것으로 생각된다. 이러한 살충작용은 전갈독과 함께 사용했을때 약 8배의 증가가 있었음을 확인하였다. 전 갈독이 살충제의 독성을 강화하는 분자생리학적 기전연구가 계속되면 해충방제에 많은 기여를 할 것으로 생각된다.

해양 생물 유래 독소는 그 치명적인 유독성으로 인해 비단 인류의 건강 뿐만 아니라 양식, 어업, 해양 생태계 전반에 걸쳐 경제적 손실을 비롯한 부정적인 영향을 미친다. 하지만, 종래에 사용되던 해양 독소 검출법만으로는 이를 다 파악하여 위협을 미연에 방지하기에는 아직 부족한 실정이다. 본 논문에서는 해산물의 해양 독소 잔존 여 부를 판별하기 위해 종래에 사용되었던 시험법들의 한계를 개선하고자 각종 나노 재료 및 신규 기술들이 도입된 신속 검출법들에 대해 조사했으며, 대표적인 연구 결과들을 선정하여 사용한 나노 입자 및 전략에 대해 서술하였 다. 특히 이러한 생물 유래 독소의 검출 기술을 대중화시키고 상용화하기 위해서는, 이를 생성하는 생물군으로부터 독소를 추출하는 전처리 과정을 간소화하는 것이 매우 중요하다. 해당 문제를 해결하고자 다양한 연구에서 표적 독소와 특이적으로 결합하는 항체를 고정화한 자성 나노 입자 기반의 전처리법을 보고했으며, 더 나아가 자성 나노 입자의 촉매 특성까지 활용해 검출 감도를 높이는 다양한 연구들도 발표되었다. 또한, 기존 효소 기반의 비색 법의 검출 한계를 낮추고 검출 시스템의 안정성을 높이기 위해 양자점과 같은 형광 나노 입자를 도입하는 보고들도 있었다. 이 외에도 압타머와 나노 입자 복합체 기반의 전기화학 측정법 및 신규 기술들을 사용하고자 하는 연구들 도 보고되었다. 하지만 해양 환경의 변화에 따라 생성된 신종 독소에 대한 대처는 아직 미흡한 실정이므로, 해양 독소 유도체 또한 아울러 진단 가능한 검출 기술에 대한 후속 연구가 필요하다.

Insecticidal crystal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) kill insects via a complex mode of action resulting in the creation of cytolytic pores in the membrane of midgut epithelial cells. These toxins are expressed in transgenic cotton and maize which have been adopted worldwide to control lepidopteran pests while reducing dependence on chemical insecticides. However, insect resistance to Bt toxins is increasing in certain key pest species. Beginning with Heliothis virescens, genetic studies in Bt-resistant Lepidoptera and Coleoptera have found mutations in ABC transporters. Cry1A, Cry1C, Cry2A, and Cry3B toxins each appear to target a different member of the ABC superfamily. These studies confirm the essential role of ABC proteins in Bt toxin mode of action. It is proposed that ABC proteins assist in the insertion of the toxin into the midgut epithelial membrane, a crucial step for which the mechanism has not been known in detail. Properties of ABC transporters suggest strategies to increase efficacy of Bt toxins and to delay the evolution of Bt toxin resistance in target insect pests.

Shiga toxins (Stxs), some of the most important virulence factors in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7, are known to be induced and released by various environmental cues, such as DNA damage responses and stress-inducing chemicals. In order to investigate the possible effects of growth media on Stxs expression, we analyzed the growth kinetics and expression of Stxs (Stx1 and 2) in cells grown in Luria-Bertani (LB) and E. coli (EC) media, which are widely used for EHEC O157:H7. Through direct plating and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), it was revealed that, when EHEC O157:H7 was grown in EC medium, the total bacterial count was reduced significantly and the stx1 transcription was greatly increased during the stationary growth phase than that in LB. Here we report that bile salts and lactose, which are the two only components in EC medium that are absent in LB, function as negative and positive regulatory signals, respectively, for the transcription of both stx1 and stx2. Indeed, stx transcription was significantly increased (~5.7 and ~21.8 fold for stx1 and stx2, respectively; p < 0.05) in an EC medium lacking bile salts when compared to the normal EC. In contrast, EHEC O157:H7 grown in an EC medium lacking lactose did significantly decrease these transcriptions (~93.5 and ~4.3 fold for stx1 and stx2, respectively; p < 0.05). Consistently, stx transcription was drastically increased in an LB medium supplemented with lactose, implying that lactose might be an environmental trigger for the expression of Stxs.

An entomopathogenic bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), is Gram-positive and undergoes sporulation along with the production of the insecticidal crystal toxins in a paraspore form. This study investigated the biochemical and insecticidal activities of Cry toxins of various Bt strains of Bt aizawai, Bt kurstaki, Bt tenebrionis, and Bt israelensis. Bt aizawai for a Cry1C (135 kDa), Bt kurstaki for a Cry1A (133 kDa), Bt tenebrionis for a Cry3 (73 kDa), Bt israelensis for a Cry4A (134 kDa) and Cry4B (128 kDa). To look for insect pest spectra of these four Cry toxins against four different insects, Cry1A was the most potent to Plutella xylostella, Cry1C to Spodoptera exigua, Cry3 to Tribolium castaneum, and Cry4A to Drosophila melanogaster. To further analyze the differential insecticidal activities of Cry toxins, two Cry toxin genes were expressed using baculovirus expression system. Both Cry1Ac and Cry1Ca toxins significantly enhanced the baculoviral pathogenicity against P. xylostella and S. exigua. However, the synergistic effects were different depending on the type of Cry toxins. These results suggest that the different insecticidal spectra of different Bts are explained by the different Cry toxins produced by the bacteria.

본 종설은 우리나라에서 발생하고 있는 적조현상을 정리하여 적조의 정의, 명칭, 년도별 연구상황, 적조발생 원인 및 생물, 독성, 인명 및 수산물의 피해, 피해저감 및 방제기술에 대하여 소개하였다. 우리나라의 초기의 적조는 돌말류에 의해 발생되었으나, 해양오염이 심각한 1970년대 말부터 무독성 와편 모조류에 의해 그리고 1980년대 말에는 유독성 편모조류에 의해 발생되고 있다. 적조발생 규모는 초기에는 국지적이었으나 근래에는 광역화이기 때문에 수산업에

Incidents of seafood poisoning and massive fish kills have been rapidly increasing in both frequency and geographical distribution and the socioeconomic impacts brought by those incidents. However, the biological origins of those marine toxins have not been well clarified. Most of the marine organisms investigated are filter-feeders, which accumulate toxins from their food and/or their symbiotic microalgae. We have examined the action on rabbit platelets of marine toxins isolated from cultured dinoflagellates and sponge collected at Okinawa. Maitotoxin (MTX) is a water-soluble toxin isolated from the cultured dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus toxicus which causes a seafood poisoning in tropical regions. Zooxanthellatoxin A (ZT-A) was isolated from extracts of cultured symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium sp. (socalled zooxanthella) from flatworms of the genus Amphiscolops collected at Okinawa. Theonezolide A (TZ-A) was isolated from the Okinawan marine sponge Theonella sp. MTX caused a disaggregation and a dissolution of large aggregates. ZT-A caused a dissolution of small aggregates followed by a increment of light trasmission. TZ-A caused an initial and transient shape change followed by a sustained aggregation and a increment of large aggregates. In conclusion, marine toxins exert unique patterns on the light trasmission and the size of aggregates in rabbit platelets by their concentrations and kinds

Helminthosporium vicotoriae and H. carbonum were grown under fluorescent plus incandescent lights, or in darkness, with several different temperature regimes. There was little or no effect of light on toxin production by H. victoriae. Light-grown cultures of H. carbonum had significantly higher titres of host-specific toxin than did dark-grown cultures. Light had no significant effect on growth of either fungus. Maximum titres of host-specific toxins from both fungi were evident at the time maximum growth was reached. Minimum pH values in Fries modified medium occurred at the time of, or slightly before maximum level of toxin was reached.

본 연구에서는 곡류 중 트리코테센류 곰팡이독소인 T-2 독소 및 HT-2 독소의 LC-MS/MS 분석방법을 검증하고 국내 유통 곡류 중 T-2 독소 및 HT-2 독소의 오염실태를 파악하였다. 곡류 중의 T-2 독소 및 HT-2 독소를 분석하기 위해, 염화나트륨을 포함한 90% 메탄올 용액으로 추출, 원심분리, 여과, 4% 염화나트륨용액으로 희석하고, 원심분리한 후, 여과한 후 면역친화성칼럼에 의해 정제한 시료를 LC-MS/MS 동시정량 분석하였다. T-2 독소 및 HT-2 독소의 검출한계 및 정량한계는 각각 0.5 μg/kg 및 1.5 μg/kg 얻었다. matrix-matched 표준 검량식에서 상관계수 0.99 이상의 직선성을 얻었으며, T-2독소와 HT-2 독소 2배에서 10배의 정량한계로 표준용액을 첨가한 시료에서 회수율은 T-2독소와 HT-2 독소 각각 100.6±7.2 %, 96.8 ± 9.4 %로 EU 가이드라인에서 제시하는 유효성 기준을 만족하였다. LC-MS/MS 정량법을 이용하여 국내 곡류 9품목 115건에 대해 T-2 독소와 HT-2 독소의 오염도를 조사하여 본 결과, 전체 곡류 115건 중에서 T-2 독소는 83건, HT-2 독소는 93건 검출되었으며 오염도는 T-2 독소는 N.D~37.1 ug/kg, HT-2 독소는 N.D~5.4 ug/kg 으로 낮은 수준이었으며, 오염도는 유럽기준치(100 μg/kg)이내 이었다. 본 연구에서 개발된 곡류 중 T-2 독소 및 HT-2 독소에 대한 분석법은 향후 우리나라 곡류 중 곰팡이독소 안전관리를 위한 시험법으로 활용가능하며, 오염도 자료는 안전성 평가의 기초자료로 활용이 가능할 것으로 사료된다.