Abstract: The objective of this paper was to explore the effect of T-2 toxin on the viscosity of DNA from shrimps (Litopenaeus vannamei). The conditions for the reaction between calf thymus DNA and T-2 toxin were optimized using response surface methodology. The reaction between shrimp DNA and T-2 toxin in vitro was investigated. Furthermore, the effect of T-2 toxin on DNA viscosity was examined after feeding shrimps with T-2 toxin for 20 days to cause accumulative poisoning. The results obtained showed that a T-2 toxin concentration of 2.70 ng/mL, a DNA concentration of 50 μg/mL and a reaction time of 43 min were determined to be the optimum conditions for the greatest effect of T-2 toxin on DNA viscosity. DNA viscosity rose with increasing concentration of T-2 toxin, reaching its maximum level at 2.70 ng/mL, followed by a decrease. The effect of T-2 toxin accumulation in shrimps on the viscosity of DNA was not clear. This result was dissimilar to the result in vitro. In conclusion, this study may be of great significance for understanding the toxicological effect of T-2 toxin on shrimps.

Key words: T-2 toxin, response surface methodology, genomic DNA, viscosity analysis