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First published online November 4, 2005
Journal of Experimental Biology 208, 4345-4354 (2005)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2005
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01897

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Actin cytoskeleton of rabbit intestinal cells is a target for potent marine phycotoxins

I. R. Ares¹, M. C. Louzao¹, M. R. Vieytes², T. Yasumoto³ and L. M. Botana^1,*

¹ Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Veterinaria de Lugo, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
² Departamento de Fisiología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria de Lugo, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
³ Japan Food Research Laboratories, Tama, Tokyo 206-0025, Japan

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: Luis.Botana{at}lugo.usc.es)

Accepted 22 September 2005

Biotoxins produced by harmful marine microalgae (phycotoxins) can be accumulated into seafood, representing a great risk for public health. Some of these phycotoxins are responsible for a variety of gastrointestinal disturbances; however, the relationship between their mechanism of action and toxicity in intestinal cells is still unknown. The actin cytoskeleton is an important and highly complicated structure in intestinal cells, and on that basis our aim has been to investigate the effect of representative phycotoxins on the enterocyte cytoskeleton. We have quantified for the first time the loss of enterocyte microfilament network induced by each toxin and recorded fluorescence images using a laser-scanning cytometer and confocal microscopy. Our data show that pectenotoxin-6, maitotoxin, palytoxin and ostreocin-D cause a significant reduction in the actin cytoskeleton. In addition, we found that the potency of maitotoxin, palytoxin and ostreocin-D to damage filamentous actin is related to Ca²⁺ influx in enterocytes. Those results identify the cytoskeleton as an early target for the toxic effect of those toxins.

Key words: brevetoxin, ciguatoxin, cytoskeleton, intestinal cell, maitotoxin, ostreocin-D, palytoxin, pectenotoxin-6, rabbit, yessotoxin

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