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Nugumanova G, Ponomarev ED, Askarova S, Fasler-Kan E, Barteneva NS. Freshwater Cyanobacterial Toxins, Cyanopeptides and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15030233. [PMID: 36977124 PMCID: PMC10057253 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15030233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria produce a wide range of structurally diverse cyanotoxins and bioactive cyanopeptides in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. The health significance of these metabolites, which include genotoxic- and neurotoxic agents, is confirmed by continued associations between the occurrence of animal and human acute toxic events and, in the long term, by associations between cyanobacteria and neurodegenerative diseases. Major mechanisms related to the neurotoxicity of cyanobacteria compounds include (1) blocking of key proteins and channels; (2) inhibition of essential enzymes in mammalian cells such as protein phosphatases and phosphoprotein phosphatases as well as new molecular targets such as toll-like receptors 4 and 8. One of the widely discussed implicated mechanisms includes a misincorporation of cyanobacterial non-proteogenic amino acids. Recent research provides evidence that non-proteinogenic amino acid BMAA produced by cyanobacteria have multiple effects on translation process and bypasses the proof-reading ability of the aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase. Aberrant proteins generated by non-canonical translation may be a factor in neuronal death and neurodegeneration. We hypothesize that the production of cyanopeptides and non-canonical amino acids is a more general mechanism, leading to mistranslation, affecting protein homeostasis, and targeting mitochondria in eukaryotic cells. It can be evolutionarily ancient and initially developed to control phytoplankton communities during algal blooms. Outcompeting gut symbiotic microorganisms may lead to dysbiosis, increased gut permeability, a shift in blood-brain-barrier functionality, and eventually, mitochondrial dysfunction in high-energy demanding neurons. A better understanding of the interaction between cyanopeptides metabolism and the nervous system will be crucial to target or to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina Nugumanova
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Eugene D Ponomarev
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Sholpan Askarova
- Center for Life Sciences, National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Elizaveta Fasler-Kan
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital, Inselspital Bern, University of Bern, 3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Natasha S Barteneva
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Humanities, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
- The Environment & Resource Efficiency Cluster (EREC), Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
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Garamszegi SP, Banack SA, Duque LL, Metcalf JS, Stommel EW, Cox PA, Davis DA. Detection of β-N-methylamino-l-alanine in postmortem olfactory bulbs of Alzheimer's disease patients using UHPLC-MS/MS: An autopsy case-series study. Toxicol Rep 2023; 10:87-96. [PMID: 36691605 PMCID: PMC9860447 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cyanobacterial blooms produce toxins that may become aerosolized, increasing health risks through inhalation exposures. Health related effects on the lower respiratory tract caused by these toxins are becoming better understood. However, nasal exposures to cyanotoxins remain understudied, especially for those with neurotoxic potential. Here, we present a case series study evaluating exposure to β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), a cyanobacterial toxin linked to neurodegenerative disease, in postmortem olfactory tissues of individuals with varying stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods Olfactory bulb (Ob) tissues were collected during autopsies performed between 2014 and 2017 from six South Florida brain donors (ages 47-78) with residences less than 140 m from a freshwater body. A triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method validated according to peer AOAC International guidelines was used to detect BMAA and two BMAA isomers: 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (2,4-DAB) and N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine (AEG). Quantitative PCR was performed on the contralateral Ob to evaluate the relative expression of genes related to proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 & IL-18), apoptotic pathways (CASP1 & BCL2), and mitochondrial stress (IRF1 & PINK1). Immunohistochemistry was also performed on the adjacent olfactory tract (Ot) to evaluate co-occurring neuropathology with BMAA tissue concentration. Results BMAA was detected in the Ob of all cases at a median concentration of 30.4 ng/g (Range <LLOQ - 488.4 ng/g). Structural isomers were also detected with median concentrations of 28.8 ng/g (AEG) and 103.6 ng/g (2,4-DAB). In addition, we found that cases with BMAA tissue concentrations above the <LLOQ also displayed increased expression of IL-6 (3.3-fold), CASP1 (1.7-fold), and IRF1 (1.6-fold). Reactive microglial, astrogliosis, myelinopathy, and neuronopathy of axonal processes in the Ot were also observed in cases with higher BMAA tissue concentrations. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that the cyanobacterial toxin BMAA can be detected in the olfactory pathway, a window to the brain, and its presence may increase the occurrence of proinflammatory cytokines, reactive glia, and toxicity to axonal processes. Further studies will be needed to evaluate BMAA's toxicity via this route of exposure and factors that increase susceptibility.
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Key Words
- 2,4-DAB, 2,4-diaminobutyric acid
- AD, Alzheimer's disease
- AEG, N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine
- ALS/PDC, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/ parkinsonism dementia complex
- BMAA, β-N-methylamino-l-alanine
- CBs, Cyanobacterial blooms
- Cyanobacteria
- Cyanotoxin
- IL-6
- Inflammation
- OD, Olfactory dysfunction
- Ob, Olfactory bulb
- Olfactory dysfunction
- Ot, Olfactory tract
- UHPLC-MS/MS, Ultra-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna P. Garamszegi
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Sandra Anne Banack
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY 83001, USA
| | - Linda L. Duque
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - James S. Metcalf
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY 83001, USA
| | - Elijah W. Stommel
- Department of Neurology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Department of Neurology, One Medical Center Dr., Lebanon, NH 03756, USA
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Paul Alan Cox
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY 83001, USA
| | - David A. Davis
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Corresponding author.
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Synucleinopathy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Potential Avenue for Antisense Therapeutics? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169364. [PMID: 36012622 PMCID: PMC9409035 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease classified as both a neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorder. With a complex aetiology and no current cure for ALS, broadening the understanding of disease pathology and therapeutic avenues is required to progress with patient care. Alpha-synuclein (αSyn) is a hallmark for disease in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and multiple system atrophy. A growing body of evidence now suggests that αSyn may also play a pathological role in ALS, with αSyn-positive Lewy bodies co-aggregating alongside known ALS pathogenic proteins, such as SOD1 and TDP-43. This review endeavours to capture the scope of literature regarding the aetiology and development of ALS and its commonalities with "synucleinopathy disorders". We will discuss the involvement of αSyn in ALS and motor neuron disease pathology, and the current theories and strategies for therapeutics in ALS treatment, as well as those targeting αSyn for synucleinopathies, with a core focus on small molecule RNA technologies.
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de Oliveira Marques C, Sesterheim P, Gayger Dias V, da Silva VF, Rodrigues L, Gonçalves CA. Hypothesizing that the intranasal administration of streptozotocin would be a valid model of Alzheimer’s disease-like dementia. Med Hypotheses 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2022.110904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Courtier A, Potheret D, Giannoni P. Environmental bacteria as triggers to brain disease: Possible mechanisms of toxicity and associated human risk. Life Sci 2022; 304:120689. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dias FRP, de Souza Almeida RR, Sovrani V, Thomaz NK, Gonçalves CA, Quincozes-Santos A, Bobermin LD. Glioprotective Effects of Resveratrol Against BMAA-Induced Astroglial Dysfunctions. Neurotox Res 2022; 40:530-541. [PMID: 35320508 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-022-00492-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Astroglial cells play important roles in maintaining central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis. The neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) has usually been associated with neurodegeneration due to its toxic effects on neurons. However, little is known about the effects of BMAA on astroglial cells. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol, represents a potential protective strategy against brain injuries. In the present study, we sought to investigate BMAA-induced astroglial dysfunctions and the glioprotective roles of resveratrol. BMAA did not impair astroglial cellular viability, but increased glutamate uptake, glutamate metabolism into glutamine, and reactive oxygen species production, while decreased glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-based antioxidant defenses and triggers an inflammatory response. In contrast, resveratrol was able to prevent most of these BMAA-induced functional changes in astroglial cells. Moreover, both BMAA and resveratrol modulated the gene expression of molecular pathways associated with glutamate metabolism, redox homeostasis, and inflammatory response, which characterize their roles on astroglial functions. In this regard, BMAA downregulated adenosine receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), and Akt, while resveratrol prevented these effects and upregulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Our study, for the first time, demonstrates that BMAA directly impacts key astroglial functions, contributing to elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of this toxin in the CNS. In addition, we reinforce the glioprotective effects of resveratrol against BMAA-induced astroglial dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Renato Pereira Dias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 - Anexo, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Rômulo Rodrigo de Souza Almeida
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 - Anexo, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Sovrani
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 - Anexo, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Natalie K Thomaz
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 - Anexo, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos-Alberto Gonçalves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 - Anexo, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - André Quincozes-Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 - Anexo, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Larissa Daniele Bobermin
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Biológicas: Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 - Anexo, 90035-003, RS, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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Ra D, Sa B, Sl B, Js M, Sj M, DA D, Ew S, O K, Eb B, Ad C, Vx T, Gg G, Pa C, Dc M, Wg B. Is Exposure to BMAA a Risk Factor for Neurodegenerative Diseases? A Response to a Critical Review of the BMAA Hypothesis. Neurotox Res 2021; 39:81-106. [PMID: 33547590 PMCID: PMC7904546 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-020-00302-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In a literature survey, Chernoff et al. (2017) dismissed the hypothesis that chronic exposure to β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) may be a risk factor for progressive neurodegenerative disease. They question the growing scientific literature that suggests the following: (1) BMAA exposure causes ALS/PDC among the indigenous Chamorro people of Guam; (2) Guamanian ALS/PDC shares clinical and neuropathological features with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and ALS; (3) one possible mechanism for protein misfolds is misincorporation of BMAA into proteins as a substitute for L-serine; and (4) chronic exposure to BMAA through diet or environmental exposures to cyanobacterial blooms can cause neurodegenerative disease. We here identify multiple errors in their critique including the following: (1) their review selectively cites the published literature; (2) the authors reported favorably on HILIC methods of BMAA detection while the literature shows significant matrix effects and peak coelution in HILIC that may prevent detection and quantification of BMAA in cyanobacteria; (3) the authors build alternative arguments to the BMAA hypothesis, rather than explain the published literature which, to date, has been unable to refute the BMAA hypothesis; and (4) the authors erroneously attribute methods to incorrect studies, indicative of a failure to carefully consider all relevant publications. The lack of attention to BMAA research begins with the review's title which incorrectly refers to BMAA as a "non-essential" amino acid. Research regarding chronic exposure to BMAA as a cause of human neurodegenerative diseases is emerging and requires additional resources, validation, and research. Here, we propose strategies for improvement in the execution and reporting of analytical methods and the need for additional and well-executed inter-lab comparisons for BMAA quantitation. We emphasize the need for optimization and validation of analytical methods to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose. Although there remain gaps in the literature, an increasingly large body of data from multiple independent labs using orthogonal methods provides increasing evidence that chronic exposure to BMAA may be a risk factor for neurological illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dunlop Ra
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY, USA.
| | - Banack Sa
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY, USA
| | - Bishop Sl
- Lewis Research Group, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Metcalf Js
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY, USA
| | - Murch Sj
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Davis DA
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Stommel Ew
- Department of Neurology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Karlsson O
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brittebo Eb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Tan Vx
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie University, Ryde, Australia
| | - Guillemin Gg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research, Macquarie University, Ryde, Australia
| | - Cox Pa
- Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Jackson, WY, USA
| | - Mash Dc
- Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Bradley Wg
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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