Diverse taxa of cyanobacteria produce β-N-methylamino-l-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid

Paul Alan Cox; Sandra Anne Banack; Susan J. Murch; Ulla Rasmussen; Georgia Tien; Robert Richard Bidigare; James S. Metcalf; Louise F. Morrison; Geoffrey A. Codd; Birgitta Bergman

doi:10.1073/pnas.0501526102

Diverse taxa of cyanobacteria produce β-N-methylamino-l-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid

Paul Alan Cox
, Sandra Anne Banack
, Susan J. Murch
, Ulla Rasmussen
, Georgia Tien
, Robert Richard Bidigare
, James S. Metcalf
, Louise F. Morrison
, Geoffrey A. Codd
, Birgitta Bergman

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

649 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Cyanobacteria can generate molecules hazardous to human health, but production of the known cyanotoxins is taxonomically sporadic. For example, members of a few genera produce hepatotoxic microcystins, whereas production of hepatotoxic nodularins appears to be limited to a single genus. Production of known neurotoxins has also been considered phylogenetically unpredictable. We report here that a single neurotoxin, ß-N-methylamino- L-alanine, may be produced by all known groups of cyanobacteria, including cyanobacterial symbionts and free-living cyanobacteria. The ubiquity of cyanobacteria in terrestrial, as well as freshwater, brackish, and marine environments, suggests a potential for widespread human exposure.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5074-5078
Number of pages	5
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume	102
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0501526102
Publication status	Published - Apr 2005

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 14 Life Below Water

Keywords

Biomagnification
Neurotoxin
Symbiosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Parkinsonism–dementia complex

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10.1073/pnas.0501526102

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Cox, P. A., Banack, S. A., Murch, S. J., Rasmussen, U., Tien, G., Bidigare, R. R., Metcalf, J. S., Morrison, L. F., Codd, G. A., & Bergman, B. (2005). Diverse taxa of cyanobacteria produce β-N-methylamino-l-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102(14), 5074-5078. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0501526102

@article{242ace9655b44540aded4de21e289250,

title = "Diverse taxa of cyanobacteria produce β-N-methylamino-l-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid",

abstract = "Cyanobacteria can generate molecules hazardous to human health, but production of the known cyanotoxins is taxonomically sporadic. For example, members of a few genera produce hepatotoxic microcystins, whereas production of hepatotoxic nodularins appears to be limited to a single genus. Production of known neurotoxins has also been considered phylogenetically unpredictable. We report here that a single neurotoxin, {\ss}-N-methylamino- L-alanine, may be produced by all known groups of cyanobacteria, including cyanobacterial symbionts and free-living cyanobacteria. The ubiquity of cyanobacteria in terrestrial, as well as freshwater, brackish, and marine environments, suggests a potential for widespread human exposure.",

keywords = "Biomagnification, Neurotoxin, Symbiosis, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinsonism{\textendash}dementia complex",

author = "Cox, \{Paul Alan\} and Banack, \{Sandra Anne\} and Murch, \{Susan J.\} and Ulla Rasmussen and Georgia Tien and Bidigare, \{Robert Richard\} and Metcalf, \{James S.\} and Morrison, \{Louise F.\} and Codd, \{Geoffrey A.\} and Birgitta Bergman",

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doi = "10.1073/pnas.0501526102",

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journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",

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Cox, PA, Banack, SA, Murch, SJ, Rasmussen, U, Tien, G, Bidigare, RR, Metcalf, JS, Morrison, LF, Codd, GA & Bergman, B 2005, 'Diverse taxa of cyanobacteria produce β-N-methylamino-l-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 102, no. 14, pp. 5074-5078. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0501526102

TY - JOUR

T1 - Diverse taxa of cyanobacteria produce β-N-methylamino-l-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid

AU - Cox, Paul Alan

AU - Banack, Sandra Anne

AU - Murch, Susan J.

AU - Rasmussen, Ulla

AU - Tien, Georgia

AU - Bidigare, Robert Richard

AU - Metcalf, James S.

AU - Morrison, Louise F.

AU - Codd, Geoffrey A.

AU - Bergman, Birgitta

N1 - dc.publisher: National Academy of Sciences

PY - 2005/4

Y1 - 2005/4

N2 - Cyanobacteria can generate molecules hazardous to human health, but production of the known cyanotoxins is taxonomically sporadic. For example, members of a few genera produce hepatotoxic microcystins, whereas production of hepatotoxic nodularins appears to be limited to a single genus. Production of known neurotoxins has also been considered phylogenetically unpredictable. We report here that a single neurotoxin, ß-N-methylamino- L-alanine, may be produced by all known groups of cyanobacteria, including cyanobacterial symbionts and free-living cyanobacteria. The ubiquity of cyanobacteria in terrestrial, as well as freshwater, brackish, and marine environments, suggests a potential for widespread human exposure.

AB - Cyanobacteria can generate molecules hazardous to human health, but production of the known cyanotoxins is taxonomically sporadic. For example, members of a few genera produce hepatotoxic microcystins, whereas production of hepatotoxic nodularins appears to be limited to a single genus. Production of known neurotoxins has also been considered phylogenetically unpredictable. We report here that a single neurotoxin, ß-N-methylamino- L-alanine, may be produced by all known groups of cyanobacteria, including cyanobacterial symbionts and free-living cyanobacteria. The ubiquity of cyanobacteria in terrestrial, as well as freshwater, brackish, and marine environments, suggests a potential for widespread human exposure.

KW - Biomagnification

KW - Neurotoxin

KW - Symbiosis

KW - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

KW - Parkinsonism–dementia complex

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0501526102

DO - 10.1073/pnas.0501526102

M3 - Article

SN - 0027-8424

VL - 102

SP - 5074

EP - 5078

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

IS - 14

ER -

Diverse taxa of cyanobacteria produce β-N-methylamino-l-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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