Amanita phalloides

From BIOL 2P96 Jan 2013 Group 08

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	The death cap, ''Amanita phalloides'', is a highly toxic fungus, ingestion of which can cause severe liver and kidney damage eventually resulting in death if left untreated. <sup>[http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/deathcap.html]</sup> This is due to the high content of the α- and β-amanitin peptides. <sup>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20954964]</sup> [[Image:Amanita phalloides 1.JPG|thumb|''Amanita phalloides'']]		The death cap, ''Amanita phalloides'', is a highly toxic fungus, ingestion of which can cause severe liver and kidney damage eventually resulting in death if left untreated. <sup>[http://www.anbg.gov.au/fungi/deathcap.html]</sup> This is due to the high content of the α- and β-amanitin peptides. <sup>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20954964]</sup> [[Image:Amanita phalloides 1.JPG|thumb|''Amanita phalloides'']]
		+	==Physical Description==
		+	''Amanita phalloides'' is a basidomycete which produces moderately sized, stereotypical mushroom shaped fruiting body that ranges from white to green brown in colour. It is often mistaken for edible mushrooms of the ''Agaricus'' family, and sometimes young fruiting bodies are wrongly identified as puffballs, leading to accidental poisoning.
	==Mode of Biological Action==		==Mode of Biological Action==
	Both α- and β-amanitin function as RNA polymerase II inhibitors, binding to the active site pocket and preventing the translation of DNA into RNA.<sup>[http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/98/1/195.abstract]</sup> Thus protein synthesis is stalled, eventually resulting in cell death. The reason the liver is affected more than other tissues is that as the toxin is absorbed in the digestive tract, it first travels to the liver.[[Image:745px-Alpha-amanitin structure.png|thumb|α-amamitin]][[Image:754px-Beta-amanitin structure.png|thumb|β-amanitin]][[Image:686px-Alpha-Amanitin–RNA polymerase II complex 1K83.png|thumb|α-amamitin bound to active pocket of RNA polymerase II. Please see full resolution for image.[http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/explore/explore.do?pdbId=1K83]]]		Both α- and β-amanitin function as RNA polymerase II inhibitors, binding to the active site pocket and preventing the translation of DNA into RNA.<sup>[http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/98/1/195.abstract]</sup> Thus protein synthesis is stalled, eventually resulting in cell death. The reason the liver is affected more than other tissues is that as the toxin is absorbed in the digestive tract, it first travels to the liver.[[Image:745px-Alpha-amanitin structure.png|thumb|α-amamitin]][[Image:754px-Beta-amanitin structure.png|thumb|β-amanitin]][[Image:686px-Alpha-Amanitin–RNA polymerase II complex 1K83.png|thumb|α-amamitin bound to active pocket of RNA polymerase II. Please see full resolution for image.[http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/explore/explore.do?pdbId=1K83]]]
		+	==History==
		+	It is suspected that many important figures have been assassinated using death cap mushrooms. Emperor Claudius was suspected to have been fed a meal either laced or wholly consisting of death caps as they look similar to Caesar's Mushrooms.<sup>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1279685/]</sup> Pope Clement VII suffered symptoms matching death cap poisoning after eating a mushroom dish shortly before his death.<sup>[http://phys.org/news189847482.html]</sup>

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Revision as of 02:21, 22 March 2013

The death cap, Amanita phalloides, is a highly toxic fungus, ingestion of which can cause severe liver and kidney damage eventually resulting in death if left untreated. ^[2] This is due to the high content of the α- and β-amanitin peptides. ^[3]

Physical Description

Amanita phalloides is a basidomycete which produces moderately sized, stereotypical mushroom shaped fruiting body that ranges from white to green brown in colour. It is often mistaken for edible mushrooms of the Agaricus family, and sometimes young fruiting bodies are wrongly identified as puffballs, leading to accidental poisoning.

Mode of Biological Action

Both α- and β-amanitin function as RNA polymerase II inhibitors, binding to the active site pocket and preventing the translation of DNA into RNA.^[4] Thus protein synthesis is stalled, eventually resulting in cell death. The reason the liver is affected more than other tissues is that as the toxin is absorbed in the digestive tract, it first travels to the liver.

History

It is suspected that many important figures have been assassinated using death cap mushrooms. Emperor Claudius was suspected to have been fed a meal either laced or wholly consisting of death caps as they look similar to Caesar's Mushrooms.^[5] Pope Clement VII suffered symptoms matching death cap poisoning after eating a mushroom dish shortly before his death.^[6]