Botulinum neurotoxin receptor identification using AlphaPulldown
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most potent toxins known, causing paralysis by severing the communication between nerves and muscles. At minute concentrations, these neurotoxins are injected into tens of millions of patients worldwide for over 100 indications, both medicinal and aesthetic.
We will use AlphaPulldown to identify the receptors of Botulinum neurotoxins from all human proteins. There are two well known receptors for Botulinum neurotoxin type B. We would like to do AlphaPulldown to verify that it can identify the known, nanomolar, receptors (and hopefully some interesting surprises). If this works we will, like to try several novel toxins that we recently have identified. They currently have unknown receptors. The findings will be confirmed and studied in detail using both biophysical and structural biology metods.
See our review in Annual Review of Biochemistry for details regarding these toxins.
Annu Rev Biochem. 2019 Jun 20;88:811-837.
doi: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-013118-111654.
PMID: 30388027; PMCID: PMC7539302.
