Botulinum neurotoxin: the neuromuscular junction revisited

Critical Reviews in Neurobiology
Julie A Coffield

Abstract

Botulinum neurotoxin is the neuromuscular poison that is responsible for the fatal disease botulism. This toxin is also a valued therapeutic agent in the treatment of an increasing number of neuromuscular disorders. Unfortunately, in the wrong hands, botulinum neurotoxin is also a deadly biological "weapon. The diverse health consequences of botulinum neurotoxin combined with the increased threat of bioterrorism underscore the profound importance of understanding exactly how this toxin exerts its effects on the clinically relevant mammalian target site, the neuromuscular junction. Despite the fact that a great deal has been learned about the cellular actions of botulinum neurotoxin during the past three decades, questions still remain. For example, what protein or proteins mediate transport of the toxin into the cholinergic nerve terminal? What factors control the duration of toxin action in the nerve terminal? Until recently, scholarly pursuit of such questions was technically challenging in neuromuscular tissues. Recent advancements in biotechnology have now made it feasible to pursue these important issues at the neuromuscular junction and to correlate biochemical studies in nontarget tissues with clinically relevant functio...Continue Reading

Citations

Mar 23, 2013·Toxicon : Official Journal of the International Society on Toxinology·Lance Simpson
Feb 20, 2021·ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters·Martin AmezcuaNicholas T Salzameda

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Botulism (ASM)

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum. Discover the latest research on botulism here.

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