Anatoxin-a
Sign in to saveAnatoxin-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 multiple genera of cyanobacteria and has been reported in North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Symptoms of anatoxin-a toxicity include loss of coordination, muscular fasciculations, convulsions and death by respiratory paralysis. Its mode of action is through the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchR) where i
Article
35 sectionsContents
- History
- Occurrence
- Experimental studies
- Toxicity
- Effects
- Exposure routes
- Oral
- Dermal
- Inhalation
- Mechanism of toxicity
- Cases of toxicity
- Synthesis
- Laboratory synthesis
- Cyclic expansion of tropanes
- Cyclization of cyclooctenes
- Enantioselective enolization strategy
- Intramolecular cyclization of iminium ions
- Enyne metathesis
- Biosynthesis
- Stability and degradation
- Detection
- Public health
- Water regulations
- United States
- Drinking water advisory levels
- Recreational water advisory levels
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Water treatment
- Laboratory uses
- Genera of cyanobacteria that produce anatoxin-a
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
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 multiple genera of cyanobacteria and has been reported in North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Symptoms of anatoxin-a toxicity 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 guanitoxin (formerly 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.
==History==