Research group Group Rydberg
Source, fate and impacts of the neurotoxin BMAA and DAB
Phytoplankton are important primary producers in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. However, some species are considered to be harmful, impacting human and animal health through the production of a variety of potent toxins. Two of these toxic metabolites are the beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and its isomer 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DAB). BMAA and DAB has shown to be linked to the development of the neurological disorders such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. BMAA and DAB are produced by cyanobacteria, diatom and dinoflagellates and bioaccumulates in aquatic food webs with highest levels in bottom-dwelling fish species and filter feeders such as mussels.
As these organisms are used for human consumption and the presence of the toxins BMAA and DAB suggests a route into human body and therefore may act as a major environmental factor eliciting neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, our studies have shown that BMAA is also transferred and accumulated into commercially farmed chickens when they are fed with standard feed mixed with mussels - part of the so called agro-aqua cycle.
Another aspect of these neurotoxic substances, is that our present knowledge on how, why and under what conditions (effect of abiotic and biotic factors) BMAA and DAB are being produced are only speculative. In our team we are using LC-MS/MS and metabolomic analysis in order to better understand the function and biosynthesis of theses metabolites. We are foremost working with diatom models but also with cyanobacteria.
Group members
Group managers
Sara Rydberg
Researcher, Departmental study director and Director of Study in Plant Physiology
