Tetrodotoxin is a potent non-proteinaceous neurotoxin, which is commonly found in the marine environment. Synthesised by bacteria, tetrodotoxin has been isolated from the tissues of several genera including pufferfish, salamanders and octopus. Believed to provide a defensive function, the independent evolution of tetrodotoxin sequestration is poorly understood in most species. Two mechanisms of tetrodotoxin resistance have been identified to date, tetrodotoxin binding proteins in the circulatory system and mutations to voltage gated sodium channels, the binding target of tetrodotoxin with the former potentially succeeding the latter in evolutionary time. This review focuses on the evolution of tetrodotoxin acquisition, in particular how it may have occurred within the blue-ringed octopus genus (Hapalochlaena) and the subsequent impact on venom evolution.

河豚毒素是一种有效的非蛋白质神经毒素，通常在海洋环境中发现。河豚毒素是由细菌合成的，已从河豚，sal和章鱼等多个属的组织中分离出来。据信，河豚毒素螯合的独立进化在大多数物种中了解甚少，因此具有防御功能。迄今为止，已经确定了两种对河豚毒素的抗性机制，即循环系统中河豚毒素的结合蛋白和电压门控钠通道的突变，河豚毒素的结合目标是前者在进化时间上可能继后。这篇综述着重于河豚毒素获取的演变，特别是它在蓝环章鱼属（Hapalochlaena）中如何发生）及其对毒液进化的影响。