Decarbamoylsaxitoxin

Decarbamoylsaxitoxin, abbreviated as dcSTX, is a neurotoxin which is naturally produced in dinoflagellate. DcSTX is one of the many analogues of saxitoxin (STX). Decarbamoylsaxitoxin, abbreviated as dcSTX, is a neurotoxin which is naturally produced in dinoflagellate. DcSTX is one of the many analogues of saxitoxin (STX). Saxitoxin is a tricyclic alkaloid compound, which has multiple structural related neurotoxins. One of those related neurotoxins is neosaxitoxin (NSTX) in which the nitrogen at position 2 is not bound to a hydrogen, but to a hydroxyl group. Another toxic analogue of saxitoxin is gonyautoxin (GTX). The difference between GTX and STX is that on the carbon at position 11, a hydrogensulfate is bound. Between dcSTX, NSTX and GTX, dcSTX is the one which varies most from saxitoxin. In dcSTX there is a double bond between carbons 2 and 3, while there is a single bond in STX. This also results in that the double-bonded N to carbon number 3 in STX, is a single bound NH2 in dcSTX. Another difference between decarbamoylsaxitoxin and saxitoxin is that the amino-carbonyl-oxy-methyl group at position 1 in STX, is only a CH2OH group in dcSTX. Even though there are slight differences between all saxitoxin-related compounds, all those saxitoxins are neurotoxins which affect the sodium channels. When in contact with one of the saxitoxins it can cause a severe illness, which is known as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). From eating shellfish, under which mussels, clams, whelks and scallops, multiple illnesses can result. One of them is sensory and motor paralysis, known as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), which results from ingestion of saxitoxin and its derivatives, such as decarbamoylsaxitoxin. Shellfish can concentrate a dinoflagellate known as Gonyaulax tamarensis, which elaborates saxitoxin. Mussels are known to filter up to 20 litres of water a day, which is why they are very likely to carry the toxin when the surrounding water is contaminated. This dinoflagellate does not affect the shellfish, but when an organism eats the scallop shuckings, it risks getting poisoned. Some species, such as the littleneck clam, possess an enzyme that converts saxitoxin into decarbamoylsaxitoxin, which reportedly decreases the toxicity to humans of the saxitoxins present.