Occurrence and Effect of Algal Neurotoxins in Nebraska Freshwater Ecosystems
Neurotoxins
Algae are photosynthetic microorganisms that play important role in aquatic ecosystems as they are the primary producers in aquatic food webs. Several groups of algae are capable of producing toxins that impact aquatic ecosystems, especially managed systems. Cyanobacteria are the most important algae in freshwaters, and many species produce cyanotoxins including hepatotoxins and neurotoxins. The potent cyano-neurotoxins β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), 2, 4-diaminobutyric acid dihydrochloride (DABA), and anatoxin-a are especially critical with regards to public and animal health problems.