Published 2021
| Version v1
Journal article
Restricted
Hunting the eagle killer: A cyanobacterial neurotoxin causes vacuolar myelinopathy
Authors/Creators
- Breinlinger, Steffen
- Phillips, Tabitha J.
- Haram, Brigette N.
- Mareš, Jan
- Martínez Yerena, José A.
- Hrouzek, Pavel
- Sobotka, Roman
- Henderson, W. Matthew
- Schmieder, Peter
- Williams, Susan M.
- Lauderdale, James D.
- Wilde, H. Dayton
- Gerrin, Wesley
- Kust, Andreja
- Washington, John W.
- Wagner, Christoph
- Geier, Benedikt
- Liebeke, Manuel
- Enke, Heike
- Niedermeyer, Timo H. J.
- Wilde, Susan B.
Description
(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) 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 identiQcation, 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.
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Additional details
Identifiers
- URL
- hash://md5/ebceff4b98aac31e15388cbd142f22de
- URN
- urn:lsid:zotero.org:groups:5435545:items:SL8X6HJF
- DOI
- 10.1126/science.aax9050
Biodiversity
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Chiroptera