Journal
BIOCHEMISTRY-MOSCOW
Volume 81, Issue 8, Pages 794-805Publisher
MAIK NAUKA/INTERPERIODICA/SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1134/S0006297916080022
Keywords
BMAA (beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine); cyanobacteria; cyanotoxins; neurotoxins; apoptosis; oxidative stress; neurodegenerative diseases
Categories
Funding
- Russian Foundation for Basic Research [14-04-00656]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Secondary metabolites of photoautotrophic organisms have attracted considerable interest in recent years. In particular, molecules of non-proteinogenic amino acids participating in various physiological processes and capable of producing adverse ecological effects have been actively investigated. For example, the non-proteinogenic amino acid beta-Nmethylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is neurotoxic to animals including humans. It is known that BMAA accumulation via the food chain can lead to development of neurodegenerative diseases in humans such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases as well as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Moreover, BMAA can be mistakenly incorporated into a protein molecule instead of serine. Natural sources of BMAA and methods for its detection are discussed in this review, as well as the role of BMAA in metabolism of its producers and possible mechanisms of toxicity of this amino acid in different living organisms.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available