Structural basis of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A1 binding to human SV2A or SV2C receptors.

Botulinum neurotoxin A1 (BoNT/A1) is the most potent natural poison in human. BoNT/A1 recognize the luminal domain of SV2A (LD-SV2A) and its glycosylation at position N573 (N573g) or the luminal domain of SV2C (LD-SV2C) and its glycosylation at position N559 (N559g) to bind neural membrane. Our computational data suggest that the N-glycan at position 480 (N480g) in the luminal domain of SV2C (LD-SV2C) indirectly enhanced the contacts of the neurotoxin surface with the second N-glycan at position 559 (N559g) by acting as a shield to prevent N559g to interact with residues of LD-SV2C.

type C, D, C/D, and D/C: An update.

is the main causative agent of botulism, a neurological disease encountered in humans as well as animals. Nine types of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) have been described so far. Amongst these "toxinotypes," the A, the B and E are the most frequently encountered in humans while the C, D, C/D and D/C are mostly affecting domestic and wild birds as well as cattle.

Structural Basis of Botulinum Toxin Type F Binding to Glycosylated Human SV2A: Studies at the Periphery of a Lipid Raft.

Botulinum neurotoxins are the deadliest microbial neurotoxins in humans, with a lethal dose of 1 ng/kg. Incidentally, these neurotoxins are also widely used for medical and cosmetic purposes. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that control binding of botulinum neurotoxin type F1 (BoNT/F1) to its membrane receptor, glycosylated human synaptic vesicle glycoprotein A (hSV2Ag).

Characterization of botulinum neurotoxin type A subtypes by immunocapture enrichment and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are divided into seven toxinotypes based on their immunological properties and each toxinotype contains several subtypes according to their amino acid sequences. Here, we designed a mass spectrometry method able to identify BoNT/A subtypes in complex matrices including crude culture supernatants, food, and environmental samples. Peptides from BoNT light chain (L) specific to the subtypes BoNT/A1 to A3 and BoNT/A5 to A8 were identified.

Detection of ricin in complex samples by immunocapture and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Ricin, the toxin component of Ricinus communis is considered as a potential chemical weapon. Several complementary techniques are required to confirm its presence in environmental samples. Here, we report a method combining immunocapture and analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for the accurate detection of different species of R.