Hemagglutinin specificity of Cl. botulinum types A, B, and F in reaction with erythrocytes of various animals]

The following differences were revealed in the haemagglutination reaction with the erythrocytes of man, sheep, rabbit, chicks and mice between the haemagglutinins of Cl. botulinum, types A, B and F, having a close affinity with one another: haemagglutinin of type A actively reacted with the erythrocytes of man, sheep, rabbit, rats and chicks; haemagglutinin of type B reacted only with the erythrocytes of man and rabbits; haemagglutinin of type F failed to react with any of the types of the erythrocytes tested; only with the use of erythrocytes treated with neuraminidase was it possible to establish the presence of haemagglutinin fraction in Cl. botulinum, type F. Treatment of human erythrocytes with neuraminidase and proteolytic enzymes caused a marked increase in the sensitivity of the haemagglutination reaction in haemagglutinins of Cl. botulinum, types A, B and F.     

Monoclonal antibodies to botulinum neurotoxins of types A,B, E,and F

Mouse monoclonal antibodies to health-threatening botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) of types A, B, E, and F have been produced and characterized. The antibodies are capable of interacting with a toxin inside the respective natural toxic complex. A sandwich ELISA for the quantitative detection of botulotoxins has been developed on based on the antibodies. The detection limits of the test systems for BoNTs A, B, E, and F is 0.4, 0.5, 0.1, and 2.4 ng/ml, respectively. The assay quantitatively detects BoNTs in canned meat and vegetables. Two antibodies, BNTA-4.1 and BNTA-9.1, both separately and in combination, are capable of neutralizing the natural botulinum toxic complex of type A in vivo; a combination of antibodies neutralizes a higher dose of the toxin. It has been shown that the antibody BNTA-4.1 binds specifically to the light (catalytic) chain of the toxin, and the antibody BNTA-9.1 interacts with the heavy chain. We believe that monoclonal antibodies BNTA-4.1 and BNTA-9.1 hold promise for developing therapeutic antibodies to treat BoNT/A-caused botulism in an emergency.     

Molecular topography and secondary structure comparisons of botulinum neurotoxin types A,B and E

Botulinum neurotoxin (NT) serotypes A, B and E differ in microstructure and biological activities. The three NTs were examined for secondary structure parameters (-helix, -sheet, -turn and random coil content) on the basis of circular dichroism; degree of exposed Tyr residues (second derivative spectroscopy) and state of the Trp residues (fluorescence and fluorescence quantuin yield). The proteins are high in -pleated sheet content (41–44%) and low in -helical content (21–28%). About 30–36% of the amino acids are in random coils. The -sheet contents in the NTs are similar irrespective of their structural forms (i.e. single or dichain forms) or level of toxicity. About 84%, 58% and 61% of Tyr residues of types A, B, and ENT, respectively, were exposed to the solvent (pH 7.2 phosphate buffer). Although the fluorescence emission maximum of Trp residues of type B NT was most blue shifted (331 nm compared to 334 for types A and E NT, and 346 nm for free tryptophan) the fluorescence quantum yields of types A and B were similar and higher than type E. In general the NTs have similar secondary (low -helix and high -sheets) and tertiary (exposed tyrosine residues and tryptophan fluorescence quantum yield) structures. Within this generalized picture there are significant differences which might be related to the differences in their biological activities.     

Isolation and immunochemical study of the toxic complex of Cl. botulinum type F]

The toxic comples of Cl. botulinum, type F, was separated into the toxic and nontoxic protein fractions by the methods of ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration in accordance with a specially devised purification scheme. Highly purified, electrophoretically and serologically homogeneous toxin with a molecular weight of 150,000 and potency equal to 10 X 10(6) DLM per 1 mg of protein was isolated from the toxic fraction. The nontoxic protein component had faintly pronounced hemagglutinating properties and was essentially different from type A and B hemagglutinins. The toxic complex of Cl. botulinum, type F, was shown to contain a proteolytically active fraction.     

Recombination and insertion events involving the botulinum neurotoxin complex genes in Clostridium botulinum types A, B, E and F and Clostridium butyricum type E strains

Background  

Clostridium botulinum is a taxonomic designation for at least four diverse species that are defined by the expression of one (monovalent) or two (bivalent) of seven different C. botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs, A-G). The four species have been classified as C. botulinum Groups I-IV. The presence of bont genes in strains representing the different Groups is probably the result of horizontal transfer of the toxin operons between the species.     

Role of arginine residues in the structure and biological activity of botulinum neurotoxin types A and E

When nicked types A and E as well as the unnicked (i.e., single chain) type E botulinum neurotoxins were treated with 1,2-cyclo-hexanedione, which specifically modifies the arginine residues in 0.2 M borate buffer, pH 8.0 i) both the nicked and unnicked neurotoxins were detoxified, ii) the unnicked single chain neurotoxin became resistant to nicking with trypsin, and iii) the serological reactivity of type A (type E was not tested) was altered. Reversal of the arginine modification partially restored toxicity. In the electroimmunodiffusion test the modified type A neurotoxin appeared as 2 cones; the height of one cone increased and the other decreased as the modification reaction progressed. These results indicate that i) at least one arginine residue is involved in maintaining the toxigenic structure of types A and E neurotoxins; ii) the site of nicking in type E is an arginyl bond; and iii) arginine residue is critical for at least one antigenic determinant of type A neurotoxin.     

Detection of Clostridium botulinum types A, B, E and F in foods by PCR and DNA probe

A PCR procedure was developed for the detection of Clostridium botulinum in foods. PCR products were detected in agarose gels and by Southern hybridization. The sensitivity of PCR was tested in broth cultures and in canned asparagus, dry cured ham and honey. The sensitivity of the method in broth was high (2·1–8·1 cfu ml⁻¹) for types A and B, but rather low (10⁴ cfu ml⁻¹) for types E and F. However, after enrichment at 37°C for 18 h, it was possible to detect Cl. botulinum types A, B, E and F in food samples at initial levels of about 1 cfu 10 g⁻¹ of food. This PCR detection protocol provides a sensitive and relatively rapid technique for the routine detection of Cl. botulinum in foods.     

Partial amino acid sequences of botulinum neurotoxins types B and E

Clostridium botulinum type E neurotoxin, a single-chain protein of Mr 147,000, was purified and subjected to amino acid sequencing. The same was done for single-chain botulinum type B neurotoxin (Mr 152,000), and for the heavy and light chains (Mr 104,000 and 51,000 respectively) derived from type B by limited trypsin digestion. Twelve to eighteen residues were identified and the following conclusions were drawn: The light chain of the nicked (dichain) type B is derived from the N-terminal one-third of the single-chain (unnicked) parent neurotoxin; sequence homologies are present between single-chain types B and E and the light chain of the nicked type A [J. J. Schmidt, V. Sathyamoorthy, and B. R. DasGupta (1984) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 119, 900-904]; the N-terminal regions of the heavy chains of types A and B have some structural similarity; and activation of type B neurotoxin cannot involve removal of amino acids or peptides from the N terminus.