Unique ganglioside binding by botulinum neurotoxins C and D-SA

Abstract

The botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most potent protein toxins for humans. There are seven serotypes of BoNTs (A-G), based on a lack of cross-antiserum neutralization. The BoNT/C and BoNT/D serotypes include mosaic toxins that are organized as D-C and C-D toxins. One BoNT D-C mosaic toxin, BoNT/D-South Africa (BoNT/D-SA), was not fully neutralized by immunization with a vaccine composed of either prototype BoNT/C-Stockholm or BoNT/D-1873. Whereas several BoNT serotypes utilize dual receptors (gangliosides and proteins) to bind to and enter neurons, the basis for BoNT/C and BoNT/D entry into neurons is less well understood. Recent studies solved the crystal structures of the receptor-binding domains of BoNT/C, BoNT/D, and BoNT/D-SA. Comparative structural analysis showed that BoNT/C, BoNT/D and BoNT/D-SA lacked components of the ganglioside-binding pocket that exists within other BoNT serotypes. With the use of structure-based alignments, biochemical analyses, and cell-binding approaches, BoNT/C and BoNT/D-SA have been shown to possess a unique ganglioside-binding domain, the ganglioside-binding loop. Defining how BoNTs enter host cells provides insights towards understanding the evolution and extending the potential therapeutic and immunological values of the BoNT serotypes. There are seven botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTS) serotypes (A-G). BoNT/C and BoNT/D serotypes include mosaic toxins that are organized as D-C and C-D toxins. BoNT/C, BoNT/D, and BoNT/D-SA lack components of the ganglioside binding pocket that exist within other BoNT serotypes, but possess a unique ganglioside binding loop. Defining how BoNTs enter host cells provides insight towards extending BoNT therapys © 2011 The Authors Journal compilation © 2011 FEBS.