title: The effect of β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) on oxidative stress response enzymes of the macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum.
abstract: Cyanobacteria are known to produce bioactive secondary metabolites such as hepatotoxins, cytotoxins and neurotoxins. The newly recognized neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is a naturally occurring non-protein amino acid found in the majority of cyanobacterial genera tested. Evidence that exists for implication of BMAA in neurodegenerative disorders relies on bioaccumulation and biomagnification from symbiotic cyanobacteria. Uptake and accumulation of free BMAA by various non-symbiotic organisms, including aquatic macrophytes, has been documented but to date limited evidence of ecotoxicology exists. We therefore investigated the effect of BMAA on the oxidative stress responses of the macrophyte, Ceratophyllum demersum. Markers for oxidative stress in this study are the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. We found that BMAA had an inhibitory effect on all the oxidative stress response enzymes tested in plants exposed to BMAA. However enzymes not related to oxidative stress response were not affected by BMAA in in vitro experiments. Binding studies in the presence of BMAA showed reduced enzyme specific activity over time compared to the control. This study shows that BMAA causes oxidative stress indirectly as it inhibits antioxidant enzymes required to combat reactive oxygen species that cause damage to cells. Further investigations are required to fully understand the inhibitory effect of BMAA on these enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esterhuizen-Londt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pflugmacher
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Downing
mesh_terms: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D002374:Catalase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000737:chemistry*; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D007700:Kinetics; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011485:Protein Binding; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C001824:beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine; C121048:guaiacol peroxidase; D002374:Catalase; D009195:Peroxidase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase