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Volume 8
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10.3390/toxins8080238
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Article

Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin BMAA and Mercury in Sharks

by
Neil Hammerschlag
1,2,
David A. Davis
3,
Kiyo Mondo
3,
Matthew S. Seely
3,
Susan J. Murch
4,
William Broc Glover
4,
Timothy Divoll
5,
David C. Evers
5 and
Deborah C. Mash
3,6,*
1
Rosensteil School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
2
Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
3
Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
4
Department of Chemistry, 3247 University Way, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
5
Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, USA
6
Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Luis Botana
Toxins 2016, 8(8), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins8080238
Received: 28 April 2016 / Accepted: 26 July 2016 / Published: 16 August 2016
(This article belongs to the Collection Marine and Freshwater Toxins)
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Abstract

Sharks have greater risk for bioaccumulation of marine toxins and mercury (Hg), because they are long-lived predators. Shark fins and cartilage also contain β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), a ubiquitous cyanobacterial toxin linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Today, a significant number of shark species have found their way onto the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Many species of large sharks are threatened with extinction due in part to the growing high demand for shark fin soup and, to a lesser extent, for shark meat and cartilage products. Recent studies suggest that the consumption of shark parts may be a route to human exposure of marine toxins. Here, we investigated BMAA and Hg concentrations in fins and muscles sampled in ten species of sharks from the South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. BMAA was detected in all shark species with only seven of the 55 samples analyzed testing below the limit of detection of the assay. Hg concentrations measured in fins and muscle samples from the 10 species ranged from 0.05 to 13.23 ng/mg. These analytical test results suggest restricting human consumption of shark meat and fins due to the high frequency and co-occurrence of two synergistic environmental neurotoxic compounds. View Full-Text
Keywords: β-N-methylamino-l-alanine; conservation; cyanobacteria; total mercury; methylmercury; neurodegenerative disease; neurotoxin; sharks β-N-methylamino-l-alanine; conservation; cyanobacteria; total mercury; methylmercury; neurodegenerative disease; neurotoxin; sharks
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

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MDPI and ACS Style

Hammerschlag, N.; Davis, D.A.; Mondo, K.; Seely, M.S.; Murch, S.J.; Glover, W.B.; Divoll, T.; Evers, D.C.; Mash, D.C. Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin BMAA and Mercury in Sharks. Toxins 2016, 8, 238. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins8080238

AMA Style

Hammerschlag N, Davis DA, Mondo K, Seely MS, Murch SJ, Glover WB, Divoll T, Evers DC, Mash DC. Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin BMAA and Mercury in Sharks. Toxins. 2016; 8(8):238. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins8080238

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hammerschlag, Neil, David A. Davis, Kiyo Mondo, Matthew S. Seely, Susan J. Murch, William B. Glover, Timothy Divoll, David C. Evers, and Deborah C. Mash. 2016. "Cyanobacterial Neurotoxin BMAA and Mercury in Sharks" Toxins 8, no. 8: 238. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins8080238

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