Frequent occurrence of 'red tide', a type of harmful algal bloom, has become a threat to the healthand survival of marine animals in the Florida Gulf Coast. The toxic blooms also negatively impact thehealth and economy of the human population living in these Gulf Coast shores. A dinoflagellate, Kareniabrevis, is present in very high numbers in the red tide and is responsible for the production and release ofbrevetoxins. Brevetoxins are polyketide compounds with a polyether ladder structure and act as potentneurotoxins. Several studies have shown that bacteria are capable of biodegrading complex algal andfungal toxins in nature. We hypothesize that bacteria present in the brevetoxin production cultures of K.brevis and in the K. brevis blooms may have the potential to degrade brevetoxins released by K. brevis.Our long-term goal is to discover and develop natural biological agents for use as potential mitigationtools in the management of a broad range of environmental health problems. We plan to test ourhypothesis by pursuing two specific aims: 1) Discover novel marine bacteria, or bacterial consortia,capable of degrading brevetoxin. 2) Isolate, characterize, and evaluate bacterial metabolites from thebrevetoxin biodegradation process. The marine bacteria with potential brevetoxin biodegradationcapabilities will be isolated by means of an enrichment technique and also by direct isolation. Individualisolates, as well as microbial consortia, will be tested for the ability to use brevetoxin as their sole carbonsource for growth. The bacterial isolates from the screening showing efficient growth on brevetoxin willbe used for further metabolic studies. The metabolites from the brevetoxin biodegradation process willbe isolated, characterized, and tested using HPLC/PDA/MS, ELISA assay and whole cell sodium ionchannel activity. This approach is innovative because it utilizes the naturally occurring ability of marinebacteria to detoxify or degrade a complex polyether algal toxin. The proposed research is significantbecause it is expected to advance and expand understanding of biochemical transformations ofbrevetoxin in the aqueous phase. This is an important and least studied area of brevetoxin research thathas potential applicability in the development of novel strategies for management and monitoring of redtide events, leading to better health prospects for the people in the Florida Gulf Coast region.
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