Bacterial Production of Saxitoxin

Abstract

A bacterium was isolated from the homogenate of Protogonyaulax tamarensis cells cultured in T1 medium containing antibiotics. The culture broth after centrifugation, to remove the cells, and the bacterial cells contained a toxin that could kill mice with signs similar to those of poisoning by paralytic shellfish toxins or tetrodotoxin. The toxin in the cultured broth was identified as saxitoxin by TLC, HPLC and electrophoretic analyses. © 1988, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.