Concentrations of Essential Trace Metals in the Brain of Animal Species—A Comparative Study
The essential trace metals iron, zinc, and copper have a significant physiological role in healthy brain development and function. Especially zinc is important for neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, synaptic transmission and plasticity, and neurite outgrowth. Given the key role of trace metals in many ce...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/10/7/460 |
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| author | Chiara Alessia DeBenedictis Andrea Raab Ellen Ducie Shauna Howley Joerg Feldmann Andreas Martin Grabrucker |
| author_facet | Chiara Alessia DeBenedictis Andrea Raab Ellen Ducie Shauna Howley Joerg Feldmann Andreas Martin Grabrucker |
| author_sort | Chiara Alessia DeBenedictis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The essential trace metals iron, zinc, and copper have a significant physiological role in healthy brain development and function. Especially zinc is important for neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, synaptic transmission and plasticity, and neurite outgrowth. Given the key role of trace metals in many cellular processes, it is important to maintain adequate levels in the brain. However, the physiological concentration of trace metals, and in particular zinc, in the human and animal brain is not well described so far. For example, little is known about the trace metal content of the brain of animals outside the class of mammals. Here, we report the concentration of iron, zinc, and copper in fresh brain tissue of different model-species of the phyla Chordata (vertebrates (mammals, fish)), Annelida, Arthropoda (insects), and Mollusca (snails), using inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS). Our results show that the trace metals are present in the nervous system of all species and that significant differences can be detected between species of different phyla. We further show that a region-specific distribution of metals within the nervous system already exists in earthworms, hinting at a tightly controlled metal distribution. In line with this, the trace metal content of the brain of different species does not simply correlate with brain size. We conclude that although the functional consequences of the controlled metal homeostasis within the brain of many species remains elusive, trace metal biology may not only play an important role in the nervous system of mammals but across the whole animal kingdom. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:23:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6c9a54811e3748e8a9a0e2a364d261f5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:23:44Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-6c9a54811e3748e8a9a0e2a364d261f52023-11-20T07:09:38ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252020-07-0110746010.3390/brainsci10070460Concentrations of Essential Trace Metals in the Brain of Animal Species—A Comparative StudyChiara Alessia DeBenedictis0Andrea Raab1Ellen Ducie2Shauna Howley3Joerg Feldmann4Andreas Martin Grabrucker5Cellular Neurobiology and Neuro-Nanotechnology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, V94PH61 Limerick, IrelandTrace Element Speciation Laboratory (TESLA), Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UKCellular Neurobiology and Neuro-Nanotechnology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, V94PH61 Limerick, IrelandCellular Neurobiology and Neuro-Nanotechnology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, V94PH61 Limerick, IrelandTrace Element Speciation Laboratory (TESLA), Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UKCellular Neurobiology and Neuro-Nanotechnology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, V94PH61 Limerick, IrelandThe essential trace metals iron, zinc, and copper have a significant physiological role in healthy brain development and function. Especially zinc is important for neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, synaptic transmission and plasticity, and neurite outgrowth. Given the key role of trace metals in many cellular processes, it is important to maintain adequate levels in the brain. However, the physiological concentration of trace metals, and in particular zinc, in the human and animal brain is not well described so far. For example, little is known about the trace metal content of the brain of animals outside the class of mammals. Here, we report the concentration of iron, zinc, and copper in fresh brain tissue of different model-species of the phyla Chordata (vertebrates (mammals, fish)), Annelida, Arthropoda (insects), and Mollusca (snails), using inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS). Our results show that the trace metals are present in the nervous system of all species and that significant differences can be detected between species of different phyla. We further show that a region-specific distribution of metals within the nervous system already exists in earthworms, hinting at a tightly controlled metal distribution. In line with this, the trace metal content of the brain of different species does not simply correlate with brain size. We conclude that although the functional consequences of the controlled metal homeostasis within the brain of many species remains elusive, trace metal biology may not only play an important role in the nervous system of mammals but across the whole animal kingdom.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/10/7/460zincironcopperseleniumICP-MSCNS |
| spellingShingle | Chiara Alessia DeBenedictis Andrea Raab Ellen Ducie Shauna Howley Joerg Feldmann Andreas Martin Grabrucker Concentrations of Essential Trace Metals in the Brain of Animal Species—A Comparative Study Brain Sciences zinc iron copper selenium ICP-MS CNS |
| title | Concentrations of Essential Trace Metals in the Brain of Animal Species—A Comparative Study |
| title_full | Concentrations of Essential Trace Metals in the Brain of Animal Species—A Comparative Study |
| title_fullStr | Concentrations of Essential Trace Metals in the Brain of Animal Species—A Comparative Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Concentrations of Essential Trace Metals in the Brain of Animal Species—A Comparative Study |
| title_short | Concentrations of Essential Trace Metals in the Brain of Animal Species—A Comparative Study |
| title_sort | concentrations of essential trace metals in the brain of animal species a comparative study |
| topic | zinc iron copper selenium ICP-MS CNS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/10/7/460 |
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