Chemical Name:3-(Methylamino)-L-alanine hydrochloride
Biological Activity:
Neurotoxic glutamate agonist
originally isolated from Cycas circinalis. Implicated in the pathogenesis of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-Parkinsonism-dementia complex of Guam (Guam
ALS-PD).
Vegaet
al (1968) The preparation of L- and D-α-amino-β-methylaminopropionic
acids and the identification of the compound isolated from Cycas circinalis
as the L-isomer.
Phytochemistry 7 1885. Weisset al (1989)
Neurotoxicity of beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and
beta-N-oxalylamino-L-alanine (BOAA) on cultured cortical neurons. Brain Res. 497
64.
Displays 26-fold and > 440-fold selectivity over kainate and NMDA receptors respectively. Neuro-protective; delays neuronal death in a global ischaemia model and cerebral infarction in a focal ischaemia model.