Pumiliotoxin

Pumiliotoxine (Latin pumilio " dwarf) are among the most toxic effect fat-soluble alkaloids. The name derives was the isolation from very small frogs.

• 2.1 poison dart frog
• 2.2 Eleutherodactylidae

Producers

Shed ants

Shed ants such as the genera Brachymyrmex and Paratrechina produce Pumiliotoxine in their venom glands as an effective weapon.

Oribatids

Some species of oribatid mites and other mites can produce toxic alkaloids, including particularly Pumiliotoxine.

Use

Poison dart frog

Erdbeerfroeschchen ( Oophaga pumilio ) of the poison dart frog family, native to the forests of Panama, feed preferentially shed by ants of the genera Brachymyrmex and Paratrechina. Mold toxins accumulate in their skin. 232 poisonous alkaloids have been identified in the skin of Erdbeerfroeschchen, most notably Pumiliotoxine and Allopumiliotoxine ( APTX ).

With other members of this family hundreds of different, sometimes extremely toxic alkaloids were discovered, which can be fatal for humans. These originate from the diet, such as Pumiliotoxine horn mites. The frogs of the genus of poison dart example presents toxins from Allopumiliotoxinen.

Eleutherodactylidae

Pumiliotoxine were also detected in the skin of the Monte Iberia Fröschchens ( Eleutherodactylus iberia ) from the family Eleutherodactylidae. The Monte Iberia frogs have developed the alkaloid storage in the skin in the course of evolution independent of other frog groups, they take the toxins through the consumption of alkaloid usually Horn mites and other mites and ants to him.