Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Resting Membrane Potential

Resting Membrane Potential

The relative difference in electrical charge, or voltage, between the inside and the outside of a cell membrane, is called the membrane potential. It is generated by differences in permeability of the membrane to various ions and the concentrations of these ions across the membrane.
The Inside of a Neuron is More Negative
The membrane potential of a cell can be measured by inserting a microelectrode into a cell and comparing the charge to a reference electrode in the extracellular fluid. The...

The Resting Membrane Potential

The Resting Membrane Potential

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) reshapes the functional potential of the gut microbiome in juvenile tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) across salinity gradients.

Animal microbiome·2026

Same author

Tetrodotoxin and saxitoxins in sharpnose pufferfish Canthigaster rivulata from Nagasaki, Japan.

Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology·2026

Same author

A live birth after bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for seromucinous borderline ovarian tumor.

The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research·2025

Same author

Regional differences in intra-body distribution of saxitoxins in freshwater pufferfish Pao sp. A from Cambodia.

Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology·2025

Same author

Epidermal distribution of tetrodotoxin-rich cells in newly hatched larvae of Takifugu spp.

Marine biotechnology (New York, N.Y.)·2024

Same author

Comparative biochemical characterization of pufferfish saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin-binding protein (PSTBP) homologs in the plasma from four Takifugu species: Conservation of heat-stable PSTBP orthologs having three and two tandemly repeated lipocalin domains in genus Takifugu.

Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Toxicology & pharmacology : CBP·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Improved Polymerase Chain Reaction-restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Genotyping of Toxic Pufferfish by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Improved Polymerase Chain Reaction-restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Genotyping of Toxic Pufferfish by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Published on: September 20, 2016

TTX accumulation in pufferfish.

Tamao Noguchi¹, Osamu Arakawa, Tomohiro Takatani

¹Japan Frozen Foods Inspection Corporation, Shibadaimon 2-4-6, Minato, Tokyo 105-0012, Japan.

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part D, Genomics & Proteomics

|May 21, 2010

Summary

Marine bacteria are the primary producers of tetrodotoxin (TTX). This potent neurotoxin enters the food chain through detritus feeders and zooplankton, accumulating in higher concentrations in organisms further up, ultimately reaching pufferfish.

More Related Videos

Healthy Brain-pituitary Slices for Electrophysiological Investigations of Pituitary Cells in Teleost Fish

Healthy Brain-pituitary Slices for Electrophysiological Investigations of Pituitary Cells in Teleost Fish

Published on: August 16, 2018

Unraveling the Role of Discrete Areas of the Rat Brain in the Regulation of Ovulation through Reversible Inactivation by Tetrodotoxin Microinjections

Unraveling the Role of Discrete Areas of the Rat Brain in the Regulation of Ovulation through Reversible Inactivation by Tetrodotoxin Microinjections

Published on: September 3, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Improved Polymerase Chain Reaction-restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Genotyping of Toxic Pufferfish by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Improved Polymerase Chain Reaction-restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Genotyping of Toxic Pufferfish by Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Published on: September 20, 2016

Healthy Brain-pituitary Slices for Electrophysiological Investigations of Pituitary Cells in Teleost Fish

Healthy Brain-pituitary Slices for Electrophysiological Investigations of Pituitary Cells in Teleost Fish

Published on: August 16, 2018

Unraveling the Role of Discrete Areas of the Rat Brain in the Regulation of Ovulation through Reversible Inactivation by Tetrodotoxin Microinjections

Unraveling the Role of Discrete Areas of the Rat Brain in the Regulation of Ovulation through Reversible Inactivation by Tetrodotoxin Microinjections

Published on: September 3, 2020

Area of Science:

Marine Biology
Microbiology
Toxicology

Background:

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin found in various marine animals.
The trumpet shell Charonia sauliae accumulating TTX suggested a food chain origin, specifically from TTX-bearing starfish like Astropecten polyacanthus.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify the primary producer of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in marine ecosystems.
To elucidate the role of marine bacteria in TTX bioaccumulation within the food chain.

Main Methods:

Isolation and cultivation of intestinal bacteria from TTX-bearing marine organisms.
Investigation of TTX production capabilities in isolated bacterial strains.

Main Results:

Specific marine bacteria isolated from TTX-bearers were confirmed to produce tetrodotoxin (TTX).
This finding supports the hypothesis that marine bacteria are the primary source of TTX.

Conclusions:

Marine bacteria are identified as the principal primary producers of tetrodotoxin (TTX).
TTX is subsequently transferred and biomagnified through marine food webs, from detritus feeders and zooplankton to top predators like pufferfish.
Cultured, non-toxic pufferfish can acquire TTX when fed a TTX-containing diet, supporting the food chain transfer hypothesis.