Citation:

Foss, A., N. Chernoff, AND M. Aubel. The direct analysis of underivatized β-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), BAMA, AEG & 2,4-DAB in Pteropus mariannus mariannus specimens using HILIC-LC-MS/MS. TOXICON. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, , 150-159, (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.07.028

Impact/Purpose:

The hypothesis that the cyanobacterial metabolite beta-methylamino-L-alanine is a causal factor in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsonism, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis depends, in part, on data showing high levels in mammalian tissues. One of the principal examples cited is that of flying fox skin samples from animals obtained in Gum. This paper re-analyzed skin samples from the same three specimens used to support the hypothesis. The work described here shows that BMAA was not detected with the extremely accurate HILIC MS/MS analyses, but was detected with LC-FL, a non-specific method originally used originally used in support of the hypothesis.

Description:

Abstract: A method for the tissue homogenization, extraction and direct analysis of BMAA (including BAMA, 2,4-DAB and AEG) was implemented. A positive control sample of homogenized mussel (Mytelius edulis) with native BMAA was used to verify method implementation. The direct analysis of samples using HILIC MS/MS required addition quality control in order to allow for the confident identification of BMAA due to near co-elution of BAMA. The approach was applied to mammalian dried skin and hair from various rodent species (negative controls) and archived flying fox (Pteropus mariannus mariannus) specimens. While direct analysis did not result in BMAA detection in flying fox or negative control samples, the positive mussel control sample and spiked samples were successfully recovered. In order to compare these results to initial reports of BMAA detected in flying fox specimens, LC-FL was implemented to analyze AQC-derivatized flying fox samples. It was determined that the LC-FL analysis resulted in false positive BMAA detections, which further supports the non-specific nature of the analysis, with implications of data discussed.

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