More than just an eagle killer: The freshwater cyanobacterium produces highly toxic dolastatin derivatives.

Cyanobacteria are infamous producers of toxins. While the toxic potential of planktonic cyanobacterial blooms is well documented, the ecosystem level effects of toxigenic benthic and epiphytic cyanobacteria are an understudied threat. The freshwater epiphytic cyanobacterium has recently been shown to produce the "eagle killer" neurotoxin aetokthonotoxin (AETX) causing the fatal neurological disease vacuolar myelinopathy.

Di-N-octylphthalate acts as a proliferative agent in murine cell hepatocytes by regulating the levels of TGF-β and pro-apoptotic proteins.

Di-n-octylphthalate (DNOP) is a phthalate used in the manufacturing of a wide variety of polyvinyl chloride-containing medical and consumer products. A study on chronic exposure to DNOP in rodents showed the development of pre-neoplastic hepatic lesions following exposure to a tumor initiator. The objective of this study was to identify the mechanisms by which DNOP leads to pre-neoplastic hepatic lesions.