title: Mechanisms of L-cysteine neurotoxicity.
abstract: We review here the possible mechanisms of neuronal degeneration caused by L-cysteine, an odd excitotoxin. L-Cysteine lacks the omega carboxyl group required for excitotoxic actions via excitatory amino acid receptors, yet it evokes N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) -like excitotoxic neuronal death and potentiates the Ca2+ influx evoked by NMDA. Both actions are prevented by NMDA antagonists. One target for cysteine effects is thus the NMDA receptor. The following mechanisms are discussed now: (1) possible increase in extracellular glutamate via release or inhibition of uptake/degradation, (2) generation of cysteine alpha-carbamate, a toxic analog of NMDA, (3) generation of toxic oxidized cysteine derivatives, (4) chelation of Zn2+ which blocks the NMDA receptor-ionophore, (5) direct interaction with the NMDA receptor redox site(s), (6) generation of free radicals, and (7) formation of S-nitrosocysteine. In addition to these, we describe another new alternative for cytotoxicity: (8) generation of the neurotoxic catecholamine derivative, 5-S-cysteinyl-3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetate (cysdopac).
authors.affiliation: Brain Research Center, Medical School, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Janáky
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saransaari
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Oja
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D003545:Cysteine / Q000502:physiology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009498:Neurotoxins; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D009498:Neurotoxins; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D003545:Cysteine