[Toxicological study of fresh water microcystins]

Microcystins are a group of toxins that are produced by fresh water cyanobacteria. They are bioactive materials which are hepatotoxic. They can inhibit serine/threonine protein phosphatase (PP1 and PP2A), breaking the balance between protein phosporylation and phosphorylysis. They present a wide range of harmful effects to human body, such as hepatotoxicity and tumor promotion. They also affect other organs like kidney and intestines. Recently, more and more attention is being paid to microcystins worldwide. This review summarizes the progress in the toxicological study of fresh water microcystins.