title: Diverse taxa of cyanobacteria produce beta-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, beta-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 wide-spread human exposure.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ethnomedicine, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, HI 96741, USA. paul@ethnomedicine.org
authors.forename: Paul Alan
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Sandra Anne
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Banack
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Murch
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tien
authors.forename: Robert Richard
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Bidigare
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Metcalf
authors.forename: Louise F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Geoffrey A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Codd
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bergman
mesh_terms: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D010944:Plants / Q000382:microbiology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013559:Symbiosis; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D009498:Neurotoxins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C001824:beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine