US EPA

7424426 

Journal Article 

Diatoms: A Novel Source for the Neurotoxin BMAA in Aquatic Environments 

Jiang, L; Eriksson, J; Lage, S; Jonasson, S; Shams, S; Mehine, M; Ilag, LL; Rasmussen, U 

2014 

1 

PLoS ONE
EISSN: 1932-6203 

Public Library of Science 

9 

1 

e84578 

English 

24392143 

10.1371/journal.pone.0084578 

WOS:000329460100066 

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. 

2 amino 3 methylaminopropionic acid; Achnanthes; animal food; aquatic environment; article; Calothrix; controlled study; cyanobacterium; diatom; eukaryote; filter feeder; food contamination; health hazard; Leptolyngbya; navicula pelliculosa; nonhuman; Oscillatoria; plankton; Proboscia inermis; Rivularia; seashore; Skeletonema marinoi; Sweden; tandem mass spectrometry; Thalassiosira; toxin synthesis; ultra performance liquid chromatography; zooplankton; Amino Acids, Diamino; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Diatoms; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Neurotoxins; Sweden; Tandem Mass Spectrometry