ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Recent Developments in Metabolism of Algal Toxins in Animals

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Toxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 566

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Rua General Norton de Matos s/n, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
Interests: environmental toxicology; toxicoproteomics; adverse outcome pathways; toxic cyanobacteria; cyanotoxins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The contamination of the marine environment by toxic algae and algal toxins is an event that is becoming increasingly frequent and severe. The occurrence of toxic microalgae, in turn, is responsible for serious incidents of human intoxication and other health problems derived from chronic exposure to algal toxins. Human exposure is mainly associated with the consumption of contaminated seafood and with dermal exposure. In order to better understand the effects that algal toxins cause on humans and on the environment and marine species, it is crucial to know in detail the biological processes underlying the entry and accumulation of these molecules in organisms, to understand the trophic transfer and the main routes of exposure and vectors of algal toxins to humans. Defense mechanisms linked to the metabolism of xenobiotics is thought to play a major role in the levels that toxins are accumulated in the organisms and their toxic effects. Despite its importance for the evaluation of the toxic effects, little progress has been made in the understanding of the molecular processes involved in the biotransformation and elimination of algal toxins, and their role in protecting the organisms. This special issue is dedicated to the recent research performed in this field. All research works related to the elucidation of the metabolism of algal toxins (in animals, plants, fungi and bacteria)  are welcomed. We encourage works that tackle the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the chemical transformation and elimination of algal toxins, e.g. identification of genes, proteins and pathways involved in toxin transformation. Furthermore, research on all types of algal toxins and investigations focused on clarifying the toxicity of chemical transformation products derived from algal toxins are also embraced in this special issue.

Dr. Alexandre Campos
Dr. Pedro Reis Costa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at mdpi.longhoe.net by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • marine toxins
  • bioacumulation
  • chemical conversion
  • detoxification mechanisms
  • toxin gene clusters

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 2117 KiB  
Article
Characterization of NR1J1 Paralog Responses of Marine Mussels: Insights from Toxins and Natural Activators
by Antonio Casas-Rodríguez, Concepción Medrano-Padial, Angeles Jos, Ana M. Cameán, Alexandre Campos and Elza Fonseca
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(12), 6287; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25126287 - 7 Jun 2024
Viewed by 372
Abstract
The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a nuclear hormone receptor that plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression in response to various ligands, particularly xenobiotics. In this context, the aim of this study was to shed light on the ligand affinity and [...] Read more.
The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a nuclear hormone receptor that plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression in response to various ligands, particularly xenobiotics. In this context, the aim of this study was to shed light on the ligand affinity and functions of four NR1J1 paralogs identified in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, employing a dual-luciferase reporter assay. To achieve this, the activation patterns of these paralogs in response to various toxins, including freshwater cyanotoxins (Anatoxin-a, Cylindrospermopsin, and Microcystin-LR, -RR, and -YR) and marine algal toxins (Nodularin, Saxitoxin, and Tetrodotoxin), alongside natural compounds (Saint John’s Wort, Ursolic Acid, and 8-Methoxypsoralene) and microalgal extracts (Tetraselmis, Isochrysis, LEGE 95046, and LEGE 91351 extracts), were studied. The investigation revealed nuanced differences in paralog response patterns, highlighting the remarkable sensitivity of MgaNR1J1γ and MgaNR1J1δ paralogs to several toxins. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the intricate mechanisms of xenobiotic metabolism and detoxification, particularly focusing on the role of marine mussel NR1J1 in responding to a diverse array of compounds. Furthermore, comparative analysis with human PXR revealed potential species-specific adaptations in detoxification mechanisms, suggesting evolutionary implications. These findings deepen our understanding of PXR-mediated metabolism mechanisms, offering insights into environmental monitoring and evolutionary biology research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments in Metabolism of Algal Toxins in Animals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop