Experimental evidence challenges the presumed defensive function of a “slow toxin” in cycads

Abstract $$\beta$$ β -methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is a neurotoxic non-protein amino acid found in the tissues of cycad plants. The demonstrated toxicity of BMAA to diverse organisms, including humans, is widely assumed to imply a defensive function of BMAA against herbivores; however, this hypothes...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Melissa R. L. Whitaker, Florence Gilliéron, Christina Skirgaila, Mark C. Mescher, Consuelo M. De Moraes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2022-04-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09298-3