Search results for "toxins"
showing 10 items of 799 documents
Unshared binding sites for Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3Aa and Cry3Ca proteins in the weevil Cylas puncticollis (Brentidae)
2016
Bacillus thuringiensis Cry3Aa and Cry3Ca proteins have been reported to be toxic against the African sweetpotato pest Cylas puncticollis. In the present work, the binding sites of these proteins in C. puncticollis brush border vesicles suggest the occurrence of different binding sites, but only one of them is shared. Our results suggest that pest resistance mediated by alteration of the shared Cry-receptor binding site might not render both Cry proteins ineffective.
Sterigmatocystin-induced cytotoxicity via oxidative stress induction in human neuroblastoma cells.
2020
Abstract Sterigmatocystin (STE) is a mycotoxin produced by fungi of the genus Aspergillus. Considering that the effect of STE on neuronal system has not been well studied, the aim of the present study consists to investigate the cytotoxic effects of STE in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells. Moreover, the role of oxidative stress and intracellular defense systems was assessed by evaluating reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and antioxidant no-enzymatic (GSH) levels and enzymatic (GPx, GST, CAT and SOD) activity. Our results revealed that STE decreased cell viability in a dose and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, after 24 h of exposure, STE induced an incr…
Extent of variation of the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin reservoir: the case of the geranium bronze, Cacyreus marshalli butler (Lepidoptera: Lycaenida…
2002
ABSTRACT Despite the fact that around 200 cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis have already been cloned, only a few Cry proteins are toxic towards a given pest. A crucial step in the mode of action of Cry proteins is binding to specific sites in the midgut of susceptible insects. Binding studies in insects that have developed cross-resistance discourage the combined use of Cry proteins sharing the same binding site. If resistance management strategies are to be implemented, the arsenal of Cry proteins suitable to control a given pest may be not so vast as it might seem at first. The present study evaluates the potential of B. thuringiensis for the control of a new pest, the geranium bronze…
Sterigmatocystin: Occurrence, toxicity and molecular mechanisms of action – A review
2020
The mycotoxin sterigmatocystin (STE) is produced mainly by Aspergillus fungi. It has been reported to occur in grains and grain-based products, cheese, coffee, spices and beer. The STE is a known biogenic precursor of aflatoxin B1, sharing with it several structural and biological similarities. The STE has been shown to be hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic in animals and it has been classified as possible human carcinogen (group 2B) by IARC. The STE has been reported to cause a marked decrease in cell proliferation in different mammalian cells. Data available on literature suggest that the cellular mechanisms underlying STE-induced toxicity include the induction of oxidative stress, mitochondrial…
Development of an in vitro neuroblastoma 3D model and its application for sterigmatocystin-induced cytotoxicity testing
2021
Abstract Given the increasing importance of establishing better risk assessments for mycotoxins, novel in vitro tools for the evaluation of their toxicity are mandatory. In this study, an in vitro 3D spheroid model from SH-SY5Y cells, a human neuroblastoma cell line, was developed, optimized and characterized to test the cytotoxic effects caused by the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin (STE). STE induced a concentration- and time-dependent cell viability decrease in spheroids. Spheroids displayed cell disaggregation after STE exposure, increasing in a dose-dependent manner and over time. STE also induced apoptosis as confirmed by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. Following the decrease…
Estudio de las bases de la resistencia a las proteínas insecticidas de bacillus thuringiensis en ostrinia nubilalis
2013
Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) es una de las plagas más devastadoras de los cultivos de maíz de Europa y Norte América, y a nivel económico la obtención de un control eficaz de esta plaga es un logro fundamental. En 1996, se permitió la comercialización de las plantas transgénicas que llevan insertado en el genoma un gen procedente de Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (Bt) y que codifica para una proteína insecticida de las que esta bacteria produce en forma de cristales paraesporales (proteínas Cry). A partir de esta fecha, la adopción de los cultivos de maíz Bt que expresan en concreto la toxina Cry1Ab ha ido aumentando progresivamente en todo el mundo, con el resultado de que las pérdidas e…
Exposure assessment of mycotoxins in food and biological samples through high resolution mass spectrometry-based strategies
2022
Las micotoxinas son metabolitos secundarios tóxicos producidos por varios géneros de hongos y que se encuentran frecuentemente en productos alimenticios. La ingestión de micotoxinas puede provocar la aparición de un amplio abanico de efectos perjudiciales para la salud. Con el objetivo de reducir el impacto sanitario debido a la ingesta de productos contaminados por micotoxinas, la Comisión Europea estableció la Regulación No 1881/2006, donde se fijan límites máximos para ciertas micotoxinas en varias tipologías de productos alimenticios. Como herramienta complementaria, el Panel de Contaminantes en la Cadena Alimentaria (CONTAM Panel) han propuesto valores de ingesta diaria tolerable, que …
Bioaccesibility of Cylindrospermopsin from cooked fish muscle after the application of an in vitro digestion model and its bioavailability.
2017
Humans can be exposed to cyanotoxins through the ingestion of contaminated water, food or beverages. In the present work, the bioaccesibility of Cylindrospermopsin (CYN), one of the most relevant cyanotoxins, was evaluated in a pure CYN solution and cooked CYN-contaminated fish muscles (20 μg/mL). An in vitro digestion model including the salivar, gastric, duodenal and colonic phases was performed, being each fraction analyzed by HPLC-MS-MS to evaluate CYN degradation. Moreover, Caco-2/TC7 cells were exposed to the digested duodenal and colonic phases to elucidate the final bioavailability of CYN in an approximation to the real human exposure scenario. The results revealed that CYN bioacces…
Non-Botrytis grape-rotting fungi responsible for earthy and moldy off-flavors and mycotoxins
2012
Abstract The grape microflora is complex and includes filamentous fungi, yeasts and bacteria with different physiological characteristics and effects on wine production. Most studies have focused on the wine microbiota, but a few studies have reported the ecology of grape microorganisms. Some of these organisms — such as non-Botrytis bunch rotting fungi, which greatly influence the safety or sensory quality of wine, due to the production of mycotoxins and off-flavors, respectively — are considered to be spoilage agents. We review here the diversity of filamentous fungi on grapes and the factors influencing their development, such as grape ripening stage, environmental factors (climate, rain…
Data from: Predators’ consumption of unpalatable prey does not vary as a function of bitter taste perception
2019
Many prey species contain defensive chemicals that are described as tasting bitter. Bitter taste perception is therefore assumed to be important when predators are learning about prey defenses. However, it is not known how individuals differ in their response to bitter taste, and how this influences their foraging decisions. We conducted taste perception assays in which wild-caught great tits (Parus major) were given water with increasing concentrations of bitter-tasting chloroquine diphosphate until they showed an aversive response to bitter taste. This response threshold was found to vary considerably among individuals, ranging from chloroquine concentrations of 0.01 mmol/l to 8 mmol/l. W…