ALGAL TOXINS: PRODUCTION DETECTION AND THERAPY

SOME OF THE LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT TOXINS PRODUCED BY ALGAE (PHYCOTOXINS) ARE AMONG THE MOST POTENT LETHAL MATERIALS KNOWN. PHYCOTOXIN STANDARDS, WHETHER THEY COME FROM PRIMARY (ALGAE) OR SECONDARY (ALGAE-CONSUMING ANIMALS) SOURCES, ARE VERY IMPORTANT STARTING POINTS FOR MEDICAL AND MARICULTURAL RESEARCH, BUT THE SUPPLY IS NOW VERY LIMITED AND IRREGULARLY AVAILABLE. THUS, AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN STUDYING PHYCOTOXINS IS TO PRODUCE PURE SUPPLIES OF SPECIFIC TOXINS. THEORETICALLY, IT IS NOW POSSIBLE TO PRODUCE A SPECIFIC TOXIN AND THEN A SPECIFIC MONOCLONAL "ANTITOXIN" TO IT. CONSEQUENTLY, THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THIS TWO-YEAR PROPOSAL ARE: 1) TO PRODUCE MG QUANTITIES OF TWO, AND POSSIBLE SEVERAL, ALGAL TOXINS PRODUCED BY DINOFLAGELLATES; 2) TO USE BIO-ASSAYS, HIGH-PERFORMANCE-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY AND THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY TO DETECT AND SEPARATE THESE TOXINS AND TO VALIDATE THE PURITY OF OUR INDIVIDUAL AND MIXED TOXIN STANDARDS; 3) TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARD PRODUCTION OF PURIFIED MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO SAXITOXIN AT LEAST, AND POSSIBLY TO SEVERAL OTHER PURIFIED TOXINS.