PUBLICATION

Hunting the eagle killer: A cyanobacterial neurotoxin causes vacuolar myelinopathy

Authors
Breinlinger, S., Phillips, T.J., Haram, B.N., Mareš, J., Martínez Yerena, J.A., Hrouzek, P., Sobotka, R., Henderson, W.M., Schmieder, P., Williams, S.M., Lauderdale, J.D., Wilde, H.D., Gerrin, W., Kust, A., Washington, J.W., Wagner, C., Geier, B., Liebeke, M., Enke, H., Niedermeyer, T.H.J., Wilde, S.B.
ID
ZDB-PUB-210413-1
Date
2021
Source
Science (New York, N.Y.)   371(6536): (Journal)
Registered Authors
Lauderdale, James D.
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Toxins/biosynthesis
  • Bacterial Toxins/chemistry
  • Bacterial Toxins/isolation & purification
  • Bacterial Toxins/toxicity*
  • Bird Diseases/chemically induced
  • Bromides/metabolism
  • Bromine/analysis
  • Caenorhabditis elegans/drug effects
  • Chickens
  • Cyanobacteria*/genetics
  • Cyanobacteria*/growth & development
  • Cyanobacteria*/metabolism
  • Demyelinating Diseases/chemically induced
  • Demyelinating Diseases/veterinary*
  • Eagles*
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Hydrocharitaceae/metabolism
  • Hydrocharitaceae/microbiology
  • Indole Alkaloids/chemistry
  • Indole Alkaloids/isolation & purification
  • Indole Alkaloids/toxicity*
  • Lethal Dose 50
  • Multigene Family
  • Neurotoxins/biosynthesis
  • Neurotoxins/chemistry
  • Neurotoxins/isolation & purification
  • Neurotoxins/toxicity*
  • Southeastern United States
  • Tryptophan/metabolism
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
33766860 Full text @ Science
Abstract
Vacuolar myelinopathy is a fatal neurological disease that was initially discovered during a mysterious mass mortality of bald eagles in Arkansas in the United States. The cause of this wildlife disease has eluded scientists for decades while its occurrence has continued to spread throughout freshwater reservoirs in the southeastern United States. Recent studies have demonstrated that vacuolar myelinopathy is induced by consumption of the epiphytic cyanobacterial species Aetokthonos hydrillicola growing on aquatic vegetation, primarily the invasive Hydrilla verticillata Here, we describe the identification, biosynthetic gene cluster, and biological activity of aetokthonotoxin, a pentabrominated biindole alkaloid that is produced by the cyanobacterium A. hydrillicola We identify this cyanobacterial neurotoxin as the causal agent of vacuolar myelinopathy and discuss environmental factors-especially bromide availability-that promote toxin production.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping