From beach encounters, aquaculture perils, and processed-food poisoning to snake bites and biological warfare, natural toxins seem never to be far from the public's sight. A better understanding of toxins in terms of their origin, structure, structure-function relation ships, mechanism of action, and detection and diagnosis is of utmost importance to human and animal food safety, nutrition, and health. In addition, it is now clear that many of the toxins can be used as scientific tools to explore the molecular mechanism of several biological processes, be it a mechanism involved in the function of membrane channels, exocytosis, or cytotoxicity. Several of the natural toxins have also been approved as therapeutic drugs, which has made them of interest to several pharmaceutical companies. For example, botulinum neurotoxins, which have been used in studies in the field of neurobiology, have also been used directly as therapeutic drugs against several neuromus cular diseases, such as strabismus and blepherospasm. Toxins in combination with modem biotechnological approaches are also being investigated for their potential use against certain deadly medical problems. For example, a combination of plant toxin ricin and antibodies is being developed for the treatment of tumors. The great potential of natural toxins has attracted scientists of varying backgrounds-pure chemists to cancer biologists-to the study of fundamental aspects of the actions of these toxins.

Zusammenfassung
Proceedings of an American Chemical Society Symposium on Natural Toxins held in Anaheim, California, April 2-7, 1995

Inhalt
Overview of Toxins.- 1. Marine Natural Products: Diversity in Molecular Structure and Bioactivity.- 2. Plant Toxins: The Essences of Diversity and a Challenge to Research.- 3. Overview of Snake Venom Chemistry.- 4. Critical Aspects of Bacterial Protein Toxins.- Origin, Structure and Function.- 5. Structure and Function of Cobra Neurotoxin.- 6. Structure and Function of Cobra Venom Factor, the Complement-Activating Protein in Cobra Venom.- 7. A Case Study of Cardiotoxin III from the Taiwan Cobra (Naja naja atra): Solution Structure and Other Physical Properties.- 8. The Staphylococcal and Streptococcal Pyrogenic Toxin Family.- 9. Primary Structural Motifs of Conus Peptides.- 10. Hymenoptera Venom Proteins.- 11. Structure and Functions of Coagulation Factor IX/Factor X-Binding Protein Isolated from the Venom of Trimeresurus flavoviridis.- 12. Structure and Function Relationship of Crotoxin, a Heterodimeric Neurotoxic Phospholipase A2 from the Venom of a South American Rattlesnake.- 13. AtroxaseA Fibrinolytic Enzyme Isolated from the Venom of Western Diamondback Rattlesnake: Isolation, Characterization and Cloning.- 14. Isolation of a Novel Lectin from the Globiferous Pedicellariae of the Sea Urchin Toxopneustes pileolus.- 15. Indian Catfish (Plotosus canius, Hamilton) Venom: Occurrence of Lethal Protein Toxin (Toxin-PC).- 16. Neurotoxin from Black Widow Spider Venom: Structure and Function.- 17. Structural and Functional Studies of Latrodectin from the Venom of Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus).- 18. Effects of Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin-1 and a Site-Directed Mutant, H135A, in Mice.- 19. The Relationship between Histidine Residues and Various Biological Activities of Clostridium perfringens Alpha Toxin.- Mechanism of Action.- 20. Mechanism of Action ofClostridium perfringens Enterotoxin.- 21. Binding Proteins on Synaptic Membranes for Certain Phospholipases A2 with Presynaptic Toxicity.- 22. Pyrularia Thionin: Physical Properties, Binding to Phospholipid Bilayers and Cellular Responses.- 23. The Chemistry and Biological Activities of the Natural Products AAL-Toxin and the Fumonisins.- 24. New Aspects of Amanitin and Phalloidin Poisoning.- 25. Actions of Banana Tree Extract on Smooth and Cardiac Muscles and in the Anesthetized Rat.- 26. The Early Expression of Myotoxicity and Localization of the Binding Sites of Notexin in the Soleus Muscle of the Rat: Notexin and Muscle.- 27. Fumonisin B1 Immunological Effects: The Influence of FB1 to the Early Stage of Immune Response.- 28. Biochemical Studies on the Effect of Plotosus lineatus Crude Venom (in Vivo) and Its Effect on EAC-Cells (in Vitro).- 29. Interaction of Lipopolysaccharide with the Antimicrobial Peptide Cecropin A.- 30. Study on the Action Mechanism of Hemorrhagin I from Agkistrodon acutus Venom.- Scientific and Medical Tools.- 31. K252a and Staurosporine Microbial Alkaloid Toxins as Prototype of Neurotropic Drugs.- 32. Structure and Experimental Uses of Arthropod Venom Proteins.- 33. Metamorphoses of a Conotoxin.- 34. Purification and Characterization of Nerve Growth Factors (NGFs) from the Snake Venoms.- 35. Snake Venoms as Probes to Study the Kinetics of Formation and Architecture of Fibrin Network Structure.- 36. Fibrolase, an Active Thrombolytic Enzyme in Arterial and Venous Thrombosis Model Systems.- Detection, Diagnostics and Therapy.- 37. Mass Spectrometric Investigations on Proteinaceous Toxins and Antibodies.- 38. Detection of the Staphylococcal Toxins.- 39. Detection and Identification of Clostridium botulinum Neurotoxins.- 40. Detection ofBotulinum Neurotoxins Using Optical Fiber-Based Biosensor.- 41. Comparative Studies of Antisera against Different Toxins.- 42. New Approaches in Antivenom Therapy.- 43. Distribution of Domoic Acid in Seaweeds Occurring in Kagoshima, Southern Japan.