High‐resolution crystal structures of the botulinum neurotoxin binding domains from subtypes A5 and A6

摘要

Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) cause flaccid paralysis through inhibition of acetylcholine release from motor neurons; however, at tiny doses, this property is exploited for use as a therapeutic. Each member of the BoNT family of proteins consists of three distinct domains: a binding domain that targets neuronal cell membranes (HsubC/sub), a translocation domain (HsubN/sub) and a catalytic domain (LC). Here, we present high‐resolution crystal structures of the binding domains of BoNT subtypes/A5 (HsubC/sub/A5) and/A6 (HsubC/sub/A6). These structures show that the core fold identified in other subtypes is maintained, but with subtle differences at the expected receptor‐binding sites.