Nature Chemical Biology 2009-07-01

Identification of the toxic trigger in mushroom poisoning.

Masanori Matsuura, Yoko Saikawa, Kosei Inui, Koichi Nakae, Masayuki Igarashi, Kimiko Hashimoto, Masaya Nakata

Index: Nat. Chem. Biol. 5 , 465-7, (2009)

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Abstract

We have isolated the small, highly strained carboxylic acid cycloprop-2-ene carboxylic acid from the Asian toxic mushroom Russula subnigricans. This compound is responsible for fatal rhabdomyolysis, a new type of mushroom poisoning that is indicated by an increase in serum creatine phosphokinase activity in mice. We found that polymerization of the compound at high concentrations via ene reaction abolishes its toxicity.