50 years of research on α-amino-β-methylaminopropionic acid (β-methylaminoalanine)

• Published in: Phytochemistry (Oxford) Vol. 144; pp. 271 - 281
• Main Author: Nunn, Peter B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2017
• Subjects: amino acids; Amino Acids, Diamino - adverse effects; Amino Acids, Diamino - chemistry; Amino Acids, Diamino - isolation & purification; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - chemically induced; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - pathology; Animals; Cyanobacteria; Cycas - chemistry; Cycas circinalis; Cycas micronesica; Cycas rumphii; dementia; Dementia - chemically induced; Dementia - pathology; Diatoms; Dinoflagellates; Guam; Guam ALS/PD; Humans; Molecular Structure; Parkinson disease; Parkinsonian Disorders - chemically induced; Parkinsonian Disorders - pathology; scientists; seeds; Seeds - chemistry; α-Amino-β-methylaminopropionic acid (MeDAP); β -methylaminoalanine (BMAA); Guam; Cycas circinalis; Dinoflagellates; Guam ALS/PD; β -methylaminoalanine (BMAA); Cyanobacteria; α-Amino-β-methylaminopropionic acid (MeDAP); Cycas micronesica; Diatoms
• ISSN: 0031-9422; 1873-3700; 1873-3700
• DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2017.10.002

The isolation of α-amino-β-methylaminopropionic acid from seeds of Cycas circinalis (now C. micronesica Hill) resulted from a purposeful attempt to establish the cause of the profound neurological disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism/dementia, that existed in high frequency amongst the inhabitants of the western Pacific island of Guam (Guam ALS/PD). In the 50 years since its discovery the amino acid has been a stimulus, and sometimes a subject of mockery, for generations of scientists in a remarkably diverse range of subject areas. The number of citations of the original paper has risen in the five decades from a few to 120 within the decade 2007–2016 and continues at a high rate into the next decade. The reasons for this remarkable outcome are discussed and examples from the literature are used to illustrate the wide range of scientific interest that the original paper generated. [Display omitted] •This account is of 50 years of research on a non-protein amino acid originally found in Cycad seeds.•The amino acid is distributed in cyanobacteria, phytoplankton and other organisms and may be bio-concentrated in animals.•Implications for human health are recognised, but involvement in human neurological diseases remains controversial.