Physalia Toxin and the Activity of Biological Membranes
Abstract
The nematocysts of the Portuguese Man-of-War and of the stinging coral, Millepora alcicornis, have been shown to contain a complex protein toxin that acts on ion transport mechanisms in a wide variety of organisms, influencing such functions as conduction in nerve trunks, coordination of vertebrate and invertebrate heart, absorption of amino acids from the gut, ionic and osmotic regulation in marine crustaceans, and sodium transport by surviving frog skin. Some of its chemical and pharmacological properties are described. A locally abundant sponge, Haliclona viridis, provides a potent, non-protein toxin, not yet studied pharmacologically, but lethal to test animals in microgram per kilo quantities. Some of its chemical characteristics are described.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 30, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0714505
Entities
People
- Charles E. Lane
Organizations
- Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science