Anatoxin-a (ATX-a) is a neurotoxic alkaloid, produced by several freshwater planktonic and benthic cyanobacteria (CB). Such CB have posed human and animal health issues for several years, as this toxin is able to cause neurologic symptoms in humans following food poisoning and death in wild and domestic animals. Different episodes of animal intoxication have incriminated ATX-a worldwide, as confirmed by the presence of ATX-a-producing CB in the consumed water or biofilm, or the observation of neurotoxic symptoms, which match experimental toxicity in vivo. Regarding toxicity parameters, toxicokinetics knowledge is currently incomplete and needs to be improved. The toxin can passively cross biological membranes and act rapidly on nicotinic receptors, its main molecular target. In vivo and in vitro acute effects of ATX-a have been studied and make possible to draw its mode of action, highlighting its deleterious effects on the nervous systems and its effectors, namely muscles, heart and vessels, and the respiratory apparatus. However, very little is known about its putative chronic toxicity. This review updates available data on ATX-a, from the ecodynamic of the toxin to its physiological and molecular targets.

Anatoxin-a（ATX-a）是一种神经毒性生物碱，由几种淡水浮游和底栖蓝细菌（CB）产生。此类CB已造成人类和动物健康问题数年，因为这种毒素能够在食物中毒以及野生和家畜死亡后在人类中引起神经系统症状。动物中毒的不同发作在全世界都引起了ATX-a的发病，这可以通过食用水或生物膜中存在产生ATX-a的CB或观察到与体内实验毒性相匹配的神经毒性症状来证实。关于毒性参数，毒物动力学知识目前尚不完善，需要改进。该毒素可以被动地穿过生物膜并快速作用于其主要分子靶标烟碱受体。体内和体外的急性效应ATX-A进行了研究，并可能得出其作用方式，突出对神经系统和它的效应，即肌肉，心脏和血管，呼吸设备，它的有害作用。然而，关于其假定的慢性毒性知之甚少。这篇评论更新了有关ATX-a的可用数据，从毒素的生态动力学到其生理和分子靶标。