Karenia Brevis - Brevetoxin

This is my project um on crania Brevis or

the Brevetoxin,

um which is an overview of a harmful algae

bloom

that causes fish and other marine animal deaths.

So, crania Brevis is a harmful algae spec

species

um that produces the Brevetoxin,

which is a potent neurotoxin that is tasteless and odorless.

This is also known as red tide

um which is caused by the population

explosion of toxic naturally occurring microscopic plankton.

Um These blooms

uh which is the over the popular explosion um

of the poison producing plankton are

coastal phenomenon caused by environmental conditions

that promote the growth.

So some ideal factors

for the growth of this algae um are low salinity, calm seas,

high surface temperatures.

Um and this can build up in seafood and be found in sea spray

and the fish are affected because they eat the plankton and breathe in

the infested water. Um Humans can get affected by ingesting

the contaminated fish as shellfish or by inhaling the toxins released

in the air and pushed throughout the wind.

This can end up affecting the central nervous system of humans and fish.

Um and marine animals.

So, Cornia Brevis um is a single cell organism or dental fly

gate

that creates food sources for the marine animals.

Um and source of oxygen through photosynthesis.

It can show up as red in the water but also brown, orange, yellow and burgundy.

Um This is based on which algae species is creating the bloom,

but it also

um ends up releasing brevi

toxins.

Um Brevi

toin disrupts the nervous system of

marine organisms leading to mass mortality events

and the ecosystem disturbances.

So,

um exposure to this bre

toxin through the contaminated shellfish or through

the sea spray can result in respiratory and neurological complications.

Um If you were to eat the contaminated shellfish, you might experience

some stomach issues first, like vomiting and diarrhea

and end up with some neurological symptoms,

like tingling sensations in your hands, problems, feeling hot and cold, vertigo,

impaired coordinations.

Um And this all happens because

the brevetoxin are long sil

sil

structures that combine to membrane channels on our neurons

causing them to fire when they shouldn't.

Um

And then waves can also break the allergy cells and release the toxins into the air.

So that's how you would be able to breathe them in.

Um when you're standing on the beach,

which can lead to allergy like symptoms

like coughing, sneezing, running eyes.

Um

And you don't even have to be on the beach to experience this.

Sometimes they can travel a mile inland if the wind is

traveling in just the right direction and just the right way.

So looking at a cellular view of what's happening,

um

this is a lipid soluble neurotoxin

that targets the receptor site five of the voltage gated sodium channel or um

it's in the plas

plasma membrane

and the toxins will bind to the membrane proteins that allow

the flow of sodium ions um generating an electrical current through the cell

and as a consequence

um and instead of that

protein being able to keep its um door gate closed,

the sodium channels will remain open and

at the resting membrane potential resulting in

depolarization of the membrane um and spontaneous

and or repetitive action potential discharges.

Um

And during every brevetoxin analog,

um it causes a release of lactate dehydrogenase. L DH

um which is an enzyme from monocytes.

L DH is a um cytosol

enzyme released during the process of cell death

and it's in almost every body tissue.

Um It helps turn

the body,

it helps the body turn glucose or sugar

from food into usual energy for ourselves.

And these are all of my references.

Karenia Brevis - Brevetoxin

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