Amino acid BMMA is produced by cyanobacteria and has been linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. We developed a method for quantitative analysis of BMAA in biological samples and plant extracts. The method is utilizing iTRAQ and LC-MS/MS detection using multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method uses 50 μL of sample and has a limit of quantitation of 300 ng mL−1, within-run run imprecision below 1%. Using this method we analyzed human serum samples, human cerebrospinal fluid samples and extract of the cycad seed. No BMAA could be detected in the human samples. Content of BMAA in the seed was 50 mg kg−1.
PapapetropoulosS., “Is there a role for naturally occurring cyanobacterial toxins in neurodegeneration? The beta-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) paradigm”, Neurochem. Int.50, 998 (2007). doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2006.12.011
2.
AllenC.N.OmelchenkoI.RossS.M.SpencerP., “The neuro-toxin, β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) interacts with the strych-nine-insensitive glycine modulatory site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor”, Neuropharmacology34, 651 (1995). doi: 10.1016/0028-3908(95)00043-6
3.
VegaA.BellE.A., “α-amino-β-methylaminopropionic acid, a new amino acid from seeds of Cycas circinalis”, Phytochemistry6, 759 (1967). doi: 10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86018-5
4.
BanackS.A.CoxP.A., “Biomagnification of cycad neurotoxins in flying foxes. Implications for ALS-PDC in Guam”, Neurology61, 387 (2003).
5.
MurchS.J.CoxP.A.BanackS.A., “A mechanism for slow release of biogmagnified cyanobacterial neurotoxins and neurodegenerative disease in Guam”, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.101, 12228 (2004). doi: 10.1073/pnas.0501526102
6.
MetcalfJ.S.BanackS.A.LindsayJ.MorrisonL.F.CoxP.A.CoddG.A., “Co-occurrence of β-N-methylamino-L-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid with other cyanobacterial toxins in British waterbodies, 1990–2004”, Environ. Microbiol.10, 702 (2008). doi: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01492.x
7.
MurchS.J.CoxP.A.BanacjS.A.SteeleJ.C.SacksO.W., “Occurrence of β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) in ALS/PDC patients from Guam”, Acta Neurol. Scand.110, 267 (2004).doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2004.00320.
8.
KisbyG.E.DwijendraN.R.SpencerP.S., “Determination of β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) in plant (Cycascircinalis L.) and animal tissue by precolumn derivatizatioin with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC) and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography”, J. Neurosci. Meth.6, 45 (1988). doi: 10.1016/0165-0270(88)90128-8
9.
KuboT.KatoN.HosoyaK.KayaK., “Effective determination method for a cyanobacterial neurotoxin, β-N-methylamino-L-alanine”, Toxicon51, 1264 (2008). doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2008.02.015
10.
EsterhuizenM.DowningT.G., “β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) in novel South African cyanobacterial isolates”, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safe.71, 309 (2008). doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2008.04.010
11.
Applied Biosystems, Amino acid analysis for hydrolysate samples iTRAQ™ reagents application kit for use with Applied Biosystems/MDS Sciex Amino Acid 20/20 Analyzer. Part Number 4367140, September (2006).
12.
RamströmM.IvoninI.JohanssonA.AskmarkH.MarkidesK.E.ZubarevR.HåkanssonP.AquiloniusS.M.BergquistJ., “Cerebrospinal fluid protein patterns in neurodegenerative disease revealed by liquid chromatography-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry”, Proteomics4, 4010 [2004]. doi: 10.1002/pmic.200400871
13.
KushnirM.M.RockwoodA.L.NelsonG.J.YueB.UrryF.M., “Assessing analytical specificity in quantitative analysis using tandem mass spectrometry”, Clin. Biochem.38, 319 (2005). doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2004.12.003
