Γ-Amanitin Explained

γ-Amanitin (gamma-Amanitin) is a cyclic peptide of eight amino acids. It is an amatoxin, a group of toxins isolated from and found in several members of the mushroom genus Amanita, one being the death cap (Amanita phalloides) as well as the destroying angel, a complex of similar species, principally A. virosa and A. bisporigera. The compound is highly toxic, inhibits RNA polymerase II, disrupts synthesis of mRNA, and can be fatal.[1]

Toxicity

Amatoxins selectively inhibit Eukaryotic RNA polymerase II by tightly to the enzyme and severely inhibits translocation along the DNA template; thus the synthesis of mRNA and proteins stops.[2] Amatoxin consumption is characterized by a long asymptomatic period of a few hours (up to a day or more) followed by quick physiological decline due to acute hepatic and tubular necrosis.[3] γ-Amanitin has been found to have similar levels of toxicity to other amatoxins such as α-Amanitin.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: PubChem . Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) : 3460 . 2024-05-04 . pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov . en.
  2. de Mercoyrol . L. . Job . C. . Job . D. . 1989-02-15 . Studies on the inhibition by alpha-amanitin of single-step addition reactions and productive RNA synthesis catalysed by wheat-germ RNA polymerase II . The Biochemical Journal . 258 . 1 . 165–169 . 10.1042/bj2580165 . 0264-6021 . 1138336 . 2467661.
  3. Vetter . János . 2023-08-07 . Amanitins: The Most Poisonous Molecules of the Fungal World . Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) . 28 . 15 . 5932 . 10.3390/molecules28155932 . free . 1420-3049 . 10421264 . 37570902.