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- Title
The origin of β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA): Cycads and/ or cyanobacteria?
- Authors
Krüger, Thomas; Oelmüller, Ralf; Luckas, Bernd
- Abstract
In the recent past, the nonproteinogenic amino acid βNmethylaminoLalanine (BMAA) has attracted public interest due to controversial discussions about the original producer of this neurotoxin. The controversy was the basis for ongoing debates about the proposed impact of BMAA in the etiology of neurodegenerative motor neuron diseases such as the amyotrophic lateralsclerosisparkinsonism dementia complex (ALSPDC). Since ALSPDC occurs worldwide, this excitotoxin hypothesis depends on the global distribution of BMAA and on the socalled biomagnification, an ubiquitous accumulation process in higher trophic levels of the human food chain. Cycad trees contain high amounts of BMAA, however their occurrence is typically restricted to tropical environments. Since diverse taxa of cyanobacteria have been hypothetically linked to the biosynthesis of BMAA, the excitotoxin hypothesis was subject of polarizing discussions within the scientific community. This review article provides a critical survey on the recent controversy about the biosynthetic origin of the neurotoxin BMAA with special regard to both the historical progress of the debate in terms of the symbiotic connection of cycads and cyanobacteria and the methodological shortcomings of the analytical approaches for determination of BMAA in complex matrices.
- Publication
Endocytobiosis & Cell Research, 2012, Vol 22, p29
- ISSN
0256-1514
- Publication type
Academic Journal