Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Cephalotoxin: the Crab-paralysing Agent of the Posterior Salivary Glands of Cephalopods

Abstract

THE presence of a substance, toxic to crabs, in the posterior salivary glands of cephalopods (Giftdrusen of the German authors) has been known for a long time1. When a drop of saliva collected from Octopus is injected into a crab, a sequence of reactions is observed followed by complete paralysis of the animal2. Active substances have been extracted from the posterior salivary glands of octopuses3, and their presence has been demonstrated in external and internal secretions4. Most of these substances have a powerful action on crabs and upon isolated organs of molluscs and other invertebrates5. Tyramine, the substance first isolated from the glands by Henze6, was, and still is, believed to be the toxic agent7. However, none of the extractive substances found in the posterior salivary glands of cephalopods, even tyramine, can reproduce the paralysing action of the crude extracts or of saliva. The observations of Livon and Briot8, recently confirmed by me9, claim a more complex composition. The active principle is inactivated by heating, does not pass through dialysing membranes and can be purified by precipitation with ammonium sulphate.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Krause, R., Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. (1897). Lo Bianco, S., Mitth. Zool. Stat. Neapel, 8, 385 (1888).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Briot, A., C.R. Soc. Biol., 58, 384 (1905). Baglioni, S., Arch. Ital. Biol., 51, 349 (1909).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Henze, M., Z. physiol. Chem., 19, 986 (1906); 182, 227 (1929). Erspamer, V., Acta Pharmacol. et Toxicol., 4, 213, 224 (1948). Erspamer, V., and Asero, B., J. Biol. Chem., 200, 311 (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Ghiretti, F., Arch. Sci. Biol., 37, 435 (1953). Bacq, Z. M., and Ghiretti, F., Arch. Intern. Physiol., 59, 288 (1951).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bottazzi, F., Pubbl. Staz. Zool. Napoli, 1, 59 (1916); idem, Ric. Fis. Chim. Biol., 1, 69 (1922); Arch. Intern. Physiol., 18, 313 (1921). Erspamer, V., and Ghiretti, F., J. Physiol., 115, 470 (1951). Bacq, Z. M., Fisher, P., and Ghiretti, F., Arch. Intern. Physiol., 60, 165 (1952).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Henze, M., Z. physiol. Chem., 87, 51 (1913).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bottazzi, F., Pubbl. Staz. Zool. Napoli (Ric. Fis. Chim. Biol.), 1, 69 (1922). Sereni, E., Boll. Soc. Ital. Biol. Sper., 4, 749 (1929). Kaiser, E., and Michl, H., “Die Biochemie der Tierischen Gifte” (Wien, 1958).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Livon, Ch., and Briot, A., J. Physiol. et Path. gén., 8, 1 (1906).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Ghiretti, F., Boll. Soc. Ital. Biol. Sper., 25, 1 (1949).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Lowry, O. H., Rosebrough, N. J., Farr, A. L., and Randall, R. J., J. Biol. Chem., 193, 265 (1951).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Smithies, O., Biochem. J., 61, 629 (1955).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

GHIRETTI, F. Cephalotoxin: the Crab-paralysing Agent of the Posterior Salivary Glands of Cephalopods. Nature 183, 1192–1193 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/1831192b0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1831192b0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing