Domoic acid attacks the brain and the heart causing seizures and heart failure. If left untreated, it usually causes permanent brain damage. The toxin will naturally flush from an animal’s system over time, but sea lions repeatedly exposed to the toxin will suffer longer-lasting and more serious effects.
What are the effects of domoic acid?
The effects of domoic acid have been attributed to several mechanisms, but the one of concern is through glutamate receptors. Domoic acid is an excitatory amino acid analogue of glutamate; a neurotransmitter in the brain that activates glutamate receptors.
Is there an antidote for domoic acid?
Diagnosis and prevention. There is no known antidote available for domoic acid. Therefore, if poisoning occurs, it is advised to go quickly to a hospital. Cooking or freezing affected fish or shellfish tissue that are contaminated with domoic acid does not lessen the toxicity.
Is domoic acid a neurotoxin?
?) Domoic acid ( DA) is a kainic acid -type neurotoxin that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). It is produced by algae and accumulates in shellfish, sardines, and anchovies. When sea lions, otters, cetaceans, humans, and other predators eat contaminated animals, poisoning may result.
How is domoic acid poisoning diagnosed and treated?
In order to be diagnosed and treated if poisoned, domoic acid must first be detected. Methods such as ELISA or probe development with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be used to detect the toxin or the organism producing this toxin.
Why is domoic acid a problem?
Domoic acid is a neurotoxin that inhibits neurochemical processes, causing short-term memory loss, brain damage, and, in severe cases, death in humans. In marine mammals, domoic acid typically causes seizures and tremors.
Why is domoic acid toxic?
A high-dose exposure to domoic acid, produced by a type of phytoplankton known as diatoms in the genus Pseudo-nitzschia, can lead to amnesic shellfish poisoning, a potentially fatal condition characterized by seizures and short-term memory loss.
Why are there more issues with domoic acid in shellfish in the ocean than in bays?
Due to the diatoms preference for oceanic areas, blooms containing domoic acid have more effect on ocean areas than in estuaries and bays.
What does domoic acid do to the brain?
Domoic acid-induced excitotoxicity leads to cellular and structural brain damage in exposed individuals through activation of the glutamate receptors [40].
Is domoic acid harmful to humans?
Domoic acid can be fatal to people if consumed in high doses. There is no antidote for domoic acid, which causes a condition called amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps within 24 hours of ingestion.
Is domoic acid a neurotoxin?
Domoic acid (DomA) is an excitatory aminoacid which can accumulate in shellfish and finfish under certain environmental conditions. DomA is a potent neurotoxin.
Does domoic acid affect fish?
Domoic acid can temporarily build up in crabs, lobsters, clams and other fish and shellfish, making them hazardous to eat for humans, marine mammals, and birds.
How do you prevent domoic acid?
How can I protect myself from exposure to domoic acid? CDPH recommends consumers not eat the viscera (internal organs, also known as "butter" or "guts") of crabs, as the viscera usually contains much higher levels of domoic acid than the meat.
What causes domoic acid in the ocean?
Domoic acid is produced during certain harmful algal bloom events by a type of algae called Pseudo-nitzschia australis. This neurotoxin accumulates in small fish, like sardines and anchovies, which are then eaten by sea lions in large quantities.
How common is domoic acid poisoning?
Since the establishment of safe levels, there have been no major outbreaks of domoic acid poisoning reported in humans.
How do you test for domoic acid?
After a washing step and addition of the substrate solution, a color signal is produced. The intensity of the blue color is inversely proportional to the concentration of Domoic Acid present in the sample. The color reaction is stopped after a specified time and the color is evaluated using an ELISA reader.
Is domoic acid red tide?
Domoic acid (DA) is often referred to as “Red Tide” and it is produced by a naturally occurring algal bloom. Domoic acid is a neurotoxin (toxin poisonous to nerve tissue) produced by phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants), specifically a microscopic diatom (algae) in the ocean called Pseudonitzschia australis.
What is domoic acid?
Domoic acid is a structural analog of kainic acid, proline, and endogenous excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Ohfune and Tomita, who wanted to investigate its absolute stereochemistry, were the first and only to synthesize domoic acid in 1982.
How to detect domoic acid?
Methods such as ELISA or probe development with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be used to detect the toxin or the organism producing this toxin. There is no known antidote available for domoic acid.
What is the maximum domoic acid concentration in shellfish?
As a public health concern, the concentration of domoic acid in shellfish and shellfish parts at point of sale should not exceed the current permissible limit of 20 mg/kg tissue. In addition, during processing shellfish, it is important to pay attention to environmental condition factors.
Where does domoic acid come from?
Domoic acid was first isolated in 1959 from a species of red algae, Chondria armata, in Japan; commonly referred to as "doumoi" (in Tokunoshima 's dialect word) or "hanayanagi".
Does domoic acid affect glutamate receptors?
The effects of domoic acid have been attributed to several mechanisms, but the one of concern is through glutamate receptors. Domoic acid is an excitatory amino acid analogue of glutamate; a neurotransmitter in the brain that activates glutamate receptors. Domoic acid has a very strong affinity for these receptors, which results in excitotoxicity initiated by an integrative action on ionotropic glutamate receptors at both sides of the synapse, coupled with the effect of blocking the channel from rapid desensitization. In addition there is a synergistic effect with endogenous glutamate and N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor agonists that contribute to the excitotoxicity.
Where does domic acid bioaccumulate?
Domoic acid can bioaccumulate in marine organisms such as shellfish, anchovies, and sardines that feed on the phytoplankton known to produce this toxin. It can accumulate in high concentrations in the tissues of these plankton feeders when the toxic phytoplankton are high in concentration in the surrounding waters.
Can you freeze fish with domoic acid?
There is no known antidote available for domoic acid. Therefore, if poisoning occurs, it is advised to go quickly to a hospital. Cooking or freezing affected fish or shellfish tissue that are contaminated with domoic acid does not lessen the toxicity.
How long does it take for domoic acid to kill you?
Domoic acid can be fatal to people if consumed in high doses. Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days.
What is the name of the toxin that is found in a single-celled diatom?
The conditions that support the growth of Pseudo-nitzschia are impossible to predict.
Can domoic acid be fatal?
Elevated levels of domoic acid in crustaceans, fish and shellfish pose a significant risk to the public if these adulterated products are consumed. Domoic acid can be fatal to people if consumed in high doses.
When did domoic acid poisoning start?
The Marine Mammal Center diagnosed the first case of domoic acid poisoning in marine mammals because of a large outbreak in California sea lions in 1998. Since then, our veterinarians and scientists have contributed to a number of scientific papers on domoic acid poisoning.
What is the name of the algae that produces domic acid?
What Is Domoic Acid? Domoic acid is produced by a type of algae called Pseudo-nitzschia australis. This neurotoxin accumulates in small fish, like sardines and anchovies, which are then eaten by sea lions in large quantities. Domoic acid primarily attacks the brain, causing lethargy, disorientation, seizures and, if not treated, eventually death.
What animals eat domoic acid?
These outbreaks threaten in addition to the birds other animals that feed on the algae such as dolphins, sea lions, and particularly important to humans, shellfish. An area where domoic acid is important is in Washington State where razor clams are a popular delicacy.
How many cases of acute intoxication after ingestion of toxic mussels were reported in 1987?
The only human cases that I found occurred in Canada. At the end of November 1987, 153 cases of acute intoxication after ingestion of toxic mussels were reported associated with blooms of the marine diatom Pseudonitschia pungens.
Overview
Mechanism of action
The effects of domoic acid have been attributed to several mechanisms, but the one of concern is through glutamate receptors. Domoic acid is an excitatory amino acid analogue of glutamate; a neurotransmitter in the brain that activates glutamate receptors. Domoic acid has a very strong affinity for these receptors, which results in excitotoxicity initiated by an integrative action on ionotropic glutamate receptors at both sides of the synapse, coupled with the effect of blocking t…
History
There has been little use of domoic acid throughout history except for in Japan, where it has been used as an anthelmintic for centuries. Domoic acid was first isolated in 1959 from a species of red algae, Chondria armata, in Japan, which is commonly referred to as dōmoi (ドウモイ) in the Tokunoshima dialect, or hanayanagi. Poisonings in history have been rare, or undocumented; however, it is thought that the increase in human activities is resulting in an increasing frequenc…
Chemistry
Domoic acid is a structural analog of kainic acid, proline, and endogenous excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Ohfune and Tomita, who wanted to investigate its absolute stereochemistry, were the first and only to synthesize domoic acid in 1982.
In 1999, using C- and C-labelled precursors, the biosynthesis of domoic acid in …
Toxicology
Domoic acid producing algal blooms are associated with the phenomenon of amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). Domoic acid can bioaccumulate in marine organisms such as shellfish, anchovies, and sardines that feed on the phytoplankton known to produce this toxin. It can accumulate in high concentrations in the tissues of these plankton feeders when the toxic phytoplankton are high in concentration in the surrounding waters. Domoic acid is a neurotoxin t…
Diagnosis and prevention
In order to be diagnosed and treated if poisoned, domoic acid must first be detected. Methods such as ELISA or probe development with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be used to detect the toxin or the organism producing this toxin.
There is no known antidote available for domoic acid. Therefore, if poisoning occurs, it is advised to go quickly to a hospital. Cooking or freezing affected fish or shellfish tissue that are contamin…
Pop culture
On August 18, 1961, in Capitola and Santa Cruz, California there was an invasion of what people described as chaotic seabirds. These birds were believed to be under the influence of domoic acid, and it inspired a scene in Alfred Hitchcock's feature film The Birds.
In addition domoic acid was used to poison a witness in the Elementary Season 1 Episode 13: "The Red Team".
See also
• Canadian Reference Materials
• Pseudo-nitzschia
• Quisqualic acid
• Brevetoxin
• Ciguatoxin