The Effects of Chrysaora and Physalia Venoms on Mitochondrial Structure and Function

Summary A study of the effects of Chrysaora quinquecirrha and Physalia physalis venoms on the uptake and binding of calcium by mitochondria revealed a decrease in these functions. Electron microscopy revealed damage to the mitochondria. Experiments on oxidative phosphorylation revealed that these jellyfish venoms possessed an action on mitochondria similar to that of snake venoms. This study was supported in part by grants-in-aid from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, (PL 89), the Frank C. Bressler Research Fund of the University of Maryland, the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Grants Nos. 1R01 ES EC 00599 and GM 15700 and National Science Foundation, RANN Grant No. 29906. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Dennis Brown of the University of Maryland School of Medicine who performed the electron microscopy.