Center for Airborne Infection & Transmission Science, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Division of Microbiology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA.
Toxins (Basel). 2024 Sep 26;16(10):417. doi: 10.3390/toxins16100417.
Palytoxins are a group of highly potent and structurally complex marine toxins that rank among some of the most toxic substances known to science. Palytoxins are naturally synthesized by a variety of marine organisms, including zoanthids, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria, and are widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions where they can bioaccumulate in marine life. The evolution of research on palytoxins has been an intricate exchange between interdisciplinary fields, drawing insights from chemistry, biology, medicine, and environmental science in efforts to better understand and mitigate the health risks associated with this family of toxins. In this review, we begin with a brief history covering the discovery of this group of toxins and the events that led to its isolation. We then focus on the chemical structure of these compounds and their proposed mechanism of action. Finally, we review in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies related to their toxicity, with the aim to provide a broad overview of the current knowledge on palytoxin toxinology.
海兔毒素是一组具有高活性和结构复杂性的海洋毒素，属于已知的最毒物质之一。海兔毒素由多种海洋生物自然合成，包括珊瑚、甲藻和蓝藻，并广泛分布于热带和温带地区，在这些地区，它们可以在海洋生物中生物累积。海兔毒素的研究进展是跨学科领域之间复杂的交流，从化学、生物学、医学和环境科学中汲取见解，以努力更好地了解和减轻与这组毒素相关的健康风险。在这篇综述中，我们首先简要回顾了该毒素组的发现历史和导致其分离的事件。然后，我们重点介绍这些化合物的化学结构及其提出的作用机制。最后，我们回顾了与其毒性相关的体外、离体和体内研究，旨在提供对海兔毒素毒理学的当前知识的广泛概述。
