title: Beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine enhances neurotoxicity through multiple mechanisms.
abstract: The idea that the environmental toxin beta-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) is involved in neurodegenerative diseases on Guam has risen and fallen over the years. The theory has gained greater interest with recent reports that BMAA is biomagnified, is widely distributed around the planet, and is present in the brains of Alzheimer's patients in Canada. We provide two important new findings. First, we show that BMAA at concentrations as low as 10 muM can potentiate neuronal injury induced by other insults. This is the first evidence that BMAA at concentrations below the mM range can enhance death of cortical neurons and illustrates potential synergistic effects of environmental toxins with underlying neurological conditions. Second, we show that the mechanism of BMAA toxicity is threefold: it is an agonist for NMDA and mGluR5 receptors, and induces oxidative stress. The results provide further support for the hypothesis that BMAA plays a role in neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, 561 N. 15th Street, Rm 426, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA. Doug.Lobner@marquette.edu
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lobner
authors.forename: Peachy Mae T
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Piana
authors.forename: Abed K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Salous
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Peoples
mesh_terms: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity*; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000633:toxicity; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D064529:Receptor, Metabotropic Glutamate 5; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; C578936:Grm5 protein, mouse; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D009498:Neurotoxins; D064529:Receptor, Metabotropic Glutamate 5; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C001824:beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine