Production of 7-deoxy-okadaic acid by a new caledonian strain of Prorocentrum Lima (Dinophyceae)

Abstract

7-Deoxy-okadaic acid and okadaic acid were identified as the major diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins produced by a New Caledonian strain of Prorocentrum lima Ehrenberg. Dinophysistoxin-1 was not produced by this strain. The cellular concentrations of 7-deoxy-okadaic acid were about one tenth that of okadaic acid and were maximal (∼1.4 pg cell-1) during the stationary growth phase of batch culture. Autolytic hydrolysis of cell extracts did not increase the concentrations of 7-deoxy-okadaic acid, whereas okadaic acid production increased more than 4-fold, indicating that 7-deoxy-okadaic acid, unlike okadaic acid, is not directly derived from large sulfated precursors. 7-Deoxy-okadaic acid could be detected by liquid chromatography-selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry, HPLC-fluorescence detection after derivatization with 9-anthryldiazomethane (ADAM), and inhibition of protein phosphatases. The solvent washes currently used for solid-phase clean-up of ADAM-derivatized DSP samples elute derivatized 7-deoxy-okadaic acid, indicating that the current sample clean-up protocol for HPLC-fluorescence detection would miss any contamination by this toxin.