Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin Beta-Methyl-Amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-Alanine Affects Dopaminergic Neurons in Optic Ganglia and Brain of <i>Daphnia magna</i>
The non-proteinogenic amino acid beta-methyl-amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">l</span>-alanine (BMAA) is a neurotoxin produced by cyanobacteria. BMAA accumulation in the brain of animals via biomagnification along the food web can contribute to the development of n...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Toxins |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/12/527 |
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| author | Megan Brooke-Jones Martina Gáliková Heinrich Dircksen |
| author_facet | Megan Brooke-Jones Martina Gáliková Heinrich Dircksen |
| author_sort | Megan Brooke-Jones |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The non-proteinogenic amino acid beta-methyl-amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">l</span>-alanine (BMAA) is a neurotoxin produced by cyanobacteria. BMAA accumulation in the brain of animals via biomagnification along the food web can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS/PDC), the latter being associated with a loss of dopaminergic neurons. <i>Daphnia magna</i> is an important microcrustacean zooplankton species that plays a key role in aquatic food webs, and BMAA-producing cyanobacteria often form part of their diet. Here, we tested the effects of BMAA on putative neurodegeneration of newly identified specific dopaminergic neurons in the optic ganglia/brain complex of <i>D. magna</i> using quantitative tyrosine-hydroxylase immunohistochemistry and fluorescence cytometry. The dopaminergic system was analysed in fed and starved isogenic <i>D. magna</i> adults incubated under different BMAA concentrations over 4 days. Increased BMAA concentration showed significant decrease in the stainability of dopaminergic neurons of <i>D. magna</i>, with fed animals showing a more extreme loss. Furthermore, higher BMAA concentrations tended to increase offspring mortality during incubation. These results are indicative of ingested BMAA causing neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in <i>D. magna</i> and adversely affecting reproduction. This may imply similar effects of BMAA on known human neurodegenerative diseases involving dopaminergic neurons. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T06:09:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-313536cd33444241b7294e7be1f93c5e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6651 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T06:09:34Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxins |
| spelling | doaj.art-313536cd33444241b7294e7be1f93c5e2022-12-22T02:59:06ZengMDPI AGToxins2072-66512018-12-01101252710.3390/toxins10120527toxins10120527Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin Beta-Methyl-Amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-Alanine Affects Dopaminergic Neurons in Optic Ganglia and Brain of <i>Daphnia magna</i>Megan Brooke-Jones0Martina Gáliková1Heinrich Dircksen2Department of Zoology, Functional Morphology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, S-10691 Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Zoology, Functional Morphology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, S-10691 Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Zoology, Functional Morphology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 18B, S-10691 Stockholm, SwedenThe non-proteinogenic amino acid beta-methyl-amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps;">l</span>-alanine (BMAA) is a neurotoxin produced by cyanobacteria. BMAA accumulation in the brain of animals via biomagnification along the food web can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS/PDC), the latter being associated with a loss of dopaminergic neurons. <i>Daphnia magna</i> is an important microcrustacean zooplankton species that plays a key role in aquatic food webs, and BMAA-producing cyanobacteria often form part of their diet. Here, we tested the effects of BMAA on putative neurodegeneration of newly identified specific dopaminergic neurons in the optic ganglia/brain complex of <i>D. magna</i> using quantitative tyrosine-hydroxylase immunohistochemistry and fluorescence cytometry. The dopaminergic system was analysed in fed and starved isogenic <i>D. magna</i> adults incubated under different BMAA concentrations over 4 days. Increased BMAA concentration showed significant decrease in the stainability of dopaminergic neurons of <i>D. magna</i>, with fed animals showing a more extreme loss. Furthermore, higher BMAA concentrations tended to increase offspring mortality during incubation. These results are indicative of ingested BMAA causing neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons in <i>D. magna</i> and adversely affecting reproduction. This may imply similar effects of BMAA on known human neurodegenerative diseases involving dopaminergic neurons.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/12/527water flea<i>Daphnia magna</i>dopaminergic neuronscyanobacterial toxinBMAAbeta-methyl-amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-alanineneurodegeneration |
| spellingShingle | Megan Brooke-Jones Martina Gáliková Heinrich Dircksen Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin Beta-Methyl-Amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-Alanine Affects Dopaminergic Neurons in Optic Ganglia and Brain of <i>Daphnia magna</i> Toxins water flea <i>Daphnia magna</i> dopaminergic neurons cyanobacterial toxin BMAA beta-methyl-amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-alanine neurodegeneration |
| title | Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin Beta-Methyl-Amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-Alanine Affects Dopaminergic Neurons in Optic Ganglia and Brain of <i>Daphnia magna</i> |
| title_full | Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin Beta-Methyl-Amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-Alanine Affects Dopaminergic Neurons in Optic Ganglia and Brain of <i>Daphnia magna</i> |
| title_fullStr | Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin Beta-Methyl-Amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-Alanine Affects Dopaminergic Neurons in Optic Ganglia and Brain of <i>Daphnia magna</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin Beta-Methyl-Amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-Alanine Affects Dopaminergic Neurons in Optic Ganglia and Brain of <i>Daphnia magna</i> |
| title_short | Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin Beta-Methyl-Amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-Alanine Affects Dopaminergic Neurons in Optic Ganglia and Brain of <i>Daphnia magna</i> |
| title_sort | cyanobacterial neurotoxin beta methyl amino span style font variant small caps l span alanine affects dopaminergic neurons in optic ganglia and brain of i daphnia magna i |
| topic | water flea <i>Daphnia magna</i> dopaminergic neurons cyanobacterial toxin BMAA beta-methyl-amino-<span style="font-variant: small-caps">l</span>-alanine neurodegeneration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/12/527 |
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