The Cyanotoxin and Non-protein Amino Acid β-Methylamino-L-Alanine (L-BMAA) in the Food Chain: Incorporation into Proteins and Its Impact on Human Health

Neurotoxicity Research
Rachael A Dunlop, Gilles Guillemin

Abstract

The size and frequency of cyanobacterial blooms are increasing concomitantly with rising global temperatures and increased eutrophication, and this has implications for human health. Cyanotoxins, including L-BMAA, have been implicated in triggering neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS/PDC and Alzheimer's disease. L-BMAA is a water-soluble non-protein amino acid that can bioaccumulate up the food chain, in a free- and protein-bound form. While some data exists on the degree of environmental enrichment of L-BMAA in water bodies, cyanobacteria-derived supplements, fruit bats, and seafood, virtually nothing is known about the presence of L-BMAA in other foodstuffs. It has now been shown several times in laboratory settings that plants can absorb L-BMAA into their leaves and stems, but data from wild-grown plants is nascent. One of the mechanisms implicated in L-BMAA bioaccumulation is misincorporation into proteins in the place of the canonical amino acid L-serine. We first identified this as a mechanism of action of L-BMAA in 2013, and since then, several groups have replicated these findings, but others have not. Here, we discuss in detail the experimental approaches, why they may have produced negative findings and propose sev...Continue Reading

References

Aug 13, 2003·Neurology·Sandra Anne Banack, Paul Alan Cox
Nov 13, 2003·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Paul Alan CoxSusan J Murch
Aug 6, 2004·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Susan J MurchSandra Anne Banack
Jun 16, 2005·The FEBS Journal·Kiyoshi OzawaNicholas E Dixon
Feb 7, 2006·Journal of Ethnopharmacology·Sandra Anne BanackPaul Alan Cox
Dec 16, 2009·Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis : Official Publication of the World Federation of Neurology Research Group on Motor Neuron Diseases·Sandra Anne Banack, Susan J Murch
Dec 16, 2009·Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis : Official Publication of the World Federation of Neurology Research Group on Motor Neuron Diseases·Britton R RoneyPaul Alan Cox
Dec 16, 2009·Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis : Official Publication of the World Federation of Neurology Research Group on Motor Neuron Diseases·Xianchong ZhouR Grace Zhai
May 5, 2010·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Sara JonassonBirgitta Bergman
Jun 28, 2011·Toxicon : Official Journal of the International Society on Toxinology·S DowningT G Downing
Mar 3, 2012·Environmental Health Perspectives·Wendee Holtcamp
Mar 14, 2012·Marine Drugs·Kiyo MondoDeborah C Mash
Oct 11, 2012·Toxicological Sciences : an Official Journal of the Society of Toxicology·Oliver OkleDaniel R Dietrich
Mar 29, 2014·Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety·Valeska Contardo-JaraStephan Pflugmacher
Apr 24, 2014·Food and Chemical Toxicology : an International Journal Published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association·Kiyo MondoDeborah C Mash
Feb 26, 2015·Wilderness & Environmental Medicine·Jon KrakauerJonathan Southard
Jan 23, 2016·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Paul Alan CoxSandra Anne Banack
Aug 19, 2016·Toxins·Neil HammerschlagDeborah C Mash
May 24, 2017·Natural Product Research·Silvia MorabitoCaterina Faggio
Aug 25, 2017·Proteomics·Joshua BeriMichael S Bereman
Sep 25, 2017·Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety·Marie AnderssonIngvar Brandt
Mar 3, 2018·Toxins·Daniel WiltsieElizabeth Fensin
Jun 20, 2018·Toxicon : Official Journal of the International Society on Toxinology·Laura L ScottTim Downing
Jun 28, 2018·Nature Reviews. Microbiology·Jef HuismanPetra M Visser

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 23, 2020·Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience·Daniela Nunes-CostaNuno Empadinhas
Jun 26, 2021·Ageing Research Reviews·Mario F Munoz-PintoSandra M Cardoso
Aug 28, 2021·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Paola SiniClaudia Crosio

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Datasets Mentioned

BETA
E6840S

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Amyloid Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive nervous system disease associated with the death of neurons that control voluntary muscles. Discover the latest research on ALS here.