title: Diatoms: a novel source for the neurotoxin BMAA in aquatic environments.
abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease is a neurological disorder linked to environmental exposure to a non-protein amino acid, β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). The only organisms reported to be BMAA-producing, are cyanobacteria--prokaryotic organisms. In this study, we demonstrate that diatoms--eukaryotic organisms--also produce BMAA. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry revealed the occurrence of BMAA in six investigated axenic diatom cultures. BMAA was also detected in planktonic field samples collected on the Swedish west coast that display an overrepresentation of diatoms relative to cyanobacteria. Given the ubiquity of diatoms in aquatic environments and their central role as primary producers and the main food items of zooplankton, the use of filter and suspension feeders as livestock fodder dramatically increases the risk of human exposure to BMAA-contaminated food.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lage
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jonasson
authors.affiliation: Sustainable Agro-ecosystems and Bioresources Department, IASMA Research and Innovation Centre - Fondazione Edmund Mach, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Shiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shams
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehine
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Leopold L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ilag
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino / Q000737:chemistry*; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000209:etiology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D017377:Diatoms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013548:Sweden; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D000599:Amino Acids, Diamino; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D009498:Neurotoxins; C001824:beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine