β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)-induced neurotoxicity : Studies in vitro and in vivo

Abstract: β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is a neurotoxic non-proteinogenic amino acid produced naturally by cyanobacteria, diatoms and dinoflagellates and it has been detected in samples from fresh and marine water from all over the world. It can bioaccumulate in fish and shellfish, and has a potential to biomagnify in a terrestrial food chain. BMAA was first discovered in the search for a neurotoxin related to the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS/PDC) found among the Chamorro people in Guam. This non-proteinogenic amino acid has also been suggested to contribute to sporadic neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). BMAA can induce neurotoxicity via multiple mechanisms. It can act as an excitotoxin by activating glutamate receptors and to induce oxidative stress. It has also been suggested to be misincorporated into proteins leading to misfolded protein aggregates. Previous studies have demonstrated a specific damage in the hippocampus, including intracellular fibril formation, in adult rats following neonatal exposure to BMAA. In this thesis both in vitro and in vivo models were used to characterize the uptake, transport and effects of BMAA in cultured cell lines and in neonatal rodent brain tissue. The uptake of radiolabeled BMAA, as well as the effects of various amino acids and transporter antagonists on the uptake were studied in human mammary epithelial cells, intestinal epithelial cells, glioblastoma and neuroblastoma cells. Based on the obtained results a potential human mother-to-infant transfer of BMAA was suggested. BMAA-induced metabolic changes in a differentiated human neuroblastoma cell line were also characterized. The results revealed a plentitude of altered metabolites, many of them involved in amino acid metabolism and the TCA cycle. Of special interest were the perturbations in alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism as this pathway is involved in neurotransmission. The results revealed that BMAA can interfere with fundamental metabolic and neurotransmission pathways. Finally, the levels of free and protein-associated BMAA in the brain and peripheral tissues in neonatal rats exposed to BMAA were analysed. The results revealed high levels of free BMAA in some brain regions, thus demonstrating that the neonatal brain is not protected from BMAA by the blood-brain barrier. The results also revealed a protein-association of BMAA in the neonatal hypothalamus and hippocampus. Although the total amount of BMAA in the hippocampus was not high compared to other brain regions, the percentage of protein-associated BMAA was significantly higher. The results suggest that the protein-association of BMAA may play a role in the long-term effects in the hippocampus following neonatal exposure to BMAA. The studies in this thesis have demonstrated 1) a potential transfer of BMAA via breast milk to the brain of the nursing infant, 2) BMAA-induced metabolic alterations related to neurotransmission in human neuroblastoma cells and 3) that both free and protein-associated BMAA can be detected in the neonatal rat brain.