Comparative biochemical characterization of pufferfish saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin-binding protein (PSTBP) homologs in the plasma from four Takifugu species: Conservation of heat-stable PSTBP orthologs having three and two tandemly repeated lipocalin domains in genus Takifugu

Yafei Zhang; Mikinori Ueno; Ryohei Tatsuno; Tomohiro Takatani; Yohei Shimasaki; Kazunari Arima; Mary Grace Sedanza; Kenichi Yamaguchi; Yuji Oshima; Osamu Arakawa

doi:10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.110049

Comparative biochemical characterization of pufferfish saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin-binding protein (PSTBP) homologs in the plasma from four Takifugu species: Conservation of heat-stable PSTBP orthologs having three and two tandemly repeated lipocalin domains in genus Takifugu

Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol. 2025 Jan:287:110049. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.110049. Epub 2024 Sep 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan.
² National Fisheries University, Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency, 2-7-1 Nagatahonmachi, Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi 759-6595, Japan.
³ Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, 1-21-40 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.
⁵ Institute of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo 5023, Philippines; Regional Research Center, University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo 5023, Philippines.
⁶ Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39326556
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2024.110049

Abstract

To study the relationship between domain characteristics of pufferfish saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin binding protein (PSTBP) proteoforms and their thermal stability, a comparative biochemical characterization of PSTBPs from the plasma of four Takifugu species (T. flavipterus, T. pardalis, T. alboplumbeus and T. rubripes) was conducted by Western blot analysis. The heat-tolerance tetrodotoxin (TTX)-binding ability of PSTBP proteoforms in T. rubripes plasma was verified by ultrafiltration and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). These results suggest that the heat-stable PSTBP proteoforms, composed of three and two tandemly repeated lipocalin domains, are genetically conserved and ubiquitous in the genus Takifugu. This study builds on our knowledge of the structural and functional properties of PSTBP proteoforms, which is vital for understanding how toxins are transmitted and accumulate in organisms and is essential for evaluating the potential risks of toxins in seafood.

Keywords: Lipocalin domain; PSTBP; Plasma; Pufferfish (Takifugu); TTX.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Chromatography, Liquid
Fish Proteins* / chemistry
Fish Proteins* / genetics
Fish Proteins* / metabolism
Hot Temperature
Protein Domains
Protein Stability
Saxitoxin* / chemistry
Sodium Channels
Species Specificity
Takifugu* / genetics
Takifugu* / metabolism
Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Tetrodotoxin / toxicity

Substances

Saxitoxin
tetrodotoxin-binding protein
Fish Proteins
Tetrodotoxin
Sodium Channels