肉毒神经毒素轻链的结构与功能

肉毒神经毒素(BoNT)是由肉毒梭菌产生的一类外毒素,它是目前自然界所发现的生物毒素中毒性最强的物质。近年来,BoNT制剂在临床治疗上呈现出广阔的应用前景。具有生物活性的BoNT由50kD的轻链(LC)和100kD的重链(HC)组成双链结构：LC具有锌内肽酶活性;HC为细胞结合和转位结构域。本文综述了BoNT的LC在一级结构、高级结构与功能的关系方面研究的新进展。     

C型肉毒毒素与C型肉毒中毒

本文介绍了Ｃ型肉毒毒素的纯化、生物学特性,并从流行病学角度对动物Ｃ型肉毒中毒的发生、中毒机理及临床表现、诊断、治疗及预防等进行了概述。对近年来Ｃ型肉毒毒素在分子水平、作用机理等方面的研究进展做了简要介绍。     

A型肉毒毒素在国内外的临床应用

在介绍Ａ型肉毒毒素结构、功能及性质的基础上,对其应用于临床治疗中的国内外情况进行了综述,旨在为此毒素的应用提供理论依据及实践经验,并指出以后应深入研究的重点,以使该毒素的临床应用更趋完美。     

不同种动物对A型肉毒梭菌毒素敏感性的比较

对小鼠、豚鼠、兔、猫和恒河猴进行了Ａ型肉毒梭菌毒素敏感性的比较,实验发现不同种动物对Ａ型毒素的敏感性有很大不同。其中家兔最敏感,豚鼠次之,小鼠与恒河猴中等敏感度、猫最不敏感。显示出动物对Ａ型毒素的敏感性与动物种类有关而与体重无直接关系。     

A型肉毒毒素轻链胞内持留模型的建立

[目的] 建立A型肉毒毒素轻链胞内持留模型来模拟A型肉毒毒素引起的长期中毒。[方法] 设计构建pcDNA3.1-ALC-GFP重组质粒,提取质粒进行PCR验证,并将其转染进Nureo-2a细胞中表达,利用Western Blot与细胞免疫荧光分析验证ALC-GFP的表达情况及其在细胞内的长时间持留,建立A型肉毒毒素轻链的胞内持留模型,并将该模型用于抗肉毒药物的筛选。[结果] 成功构建pcDNA3.1-ALC-GFP重组质粒并将其转染进Nureo-2a细胞中,验证了ALC-GFP在细胞内具有长时间持留性,成功建立了A型肉毒毒素轻链胞内持留模型,并利用该模型筛选出潜在抗肉毒药物CB3。[结论] 成功建立了A型肉毒毒素轻链胞内持留模型,并初步应用于CS1,CE2和CB3药物筛选,为A型肉毒毒素长期中毒的解毒研究奠定了基础。     

肉毒毒素研究进展

肉毒毒素是肉毒梭菌产生的一种神经毒素,能够通过抑制神经肌肉接头处的乙酰胆碱释放而引起肌肉麻痹.肉毒毒素在培养液中以复合物形式存在,其中的毒性组分由3个非同源性结构域组成,是一种新型的金属蛋白酶.不同血清型的肉毒毒素能够特异性地作用于不同底物,这些底物在神经细胞的胞外分泌过程中发挥重要作用.肉毒毒素在胞吞胞吐机制的研究以及临床医学应用方面具有宝贵的价值.     

苦味酸法测定A型肉毒毒素中的明胶含量

目的注射用A型肉毒毒素中加入明胶作为稳定剂,建立并验证定量检测注射用A型肉毒毒素中明胶含量的方法。方法通过苦味酸与明胶特异性作用,产生强的吸收,采用紫外-可见分光光度计用外标法来检测注射用A型肉毒毒素中的明胶含量。结果通过一定浓度苦味酸与明胶作用,用分光光度计在520 nm处测定吸光度,检测限可以达到2.5 mg/L,检测范围可以达到10~100 mg/L。结论该方法具有良好的特异性、准确度、精密度和灵敏度,对于测定注射用A型肉毒毒素中的明胶含量有较好的参考价值。     

外源性蛋白酶对肉毒毒素的作用初探

将B型肉毒毒素在毒素粗提阶段用胰蛋白酶处理,再经浓缩、柱层析和结晶得到纯化的B型肉毒毒素复合物。结果表明:B型肉毒神经毒素经胰蛋白酶处理后单链裂解为双链,在非还原条件下SDS-PAGE显示神经毒素条带,在还原条件下SDS-PAGE只显示轻(L)、重(H)二链条带,而不显示神经毒素条带;纯化后毒素复合物的比活性提高了5.9倍,达到1.60×108LD50/mgPr;HPLC显示活性成分峰面积所占比例增加了9.83%。     

IEF纯化重组A型肉毒毒素保护性抗原

在大肠杆菌中高效表达的重组A型肉毒毒素保护性抗原（rBoNTaH468),是以包涵体形式存在,将表达菌株发酵后,裂解菌体,制备包涵体,溶解后的包涵体溶液经样品处理,通过等地电聚焦制备型电泳纯化,纯化的重组A型肉毒毒素保护性抗原（rBoNTaH468)纯度高于90%,产量及回收率高,纯化的重组表达产物酶联检测具有结合活性,这为下一步A型肉毒毒素抗毒素的研制打下基础。     

Sequence of the gene encoding type F neurotoxin of Clostridium botulinum

Primers designed to conserved regions of botulinum and tetanus clostridial toxins were used to amplify DNA fragments from non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum type F (202F) DNA using polymerase chain reaction technology. The fragments were cloned and the complete nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding type F toxin determined. Analysis of the nucleotide sequence demonstrated the presence of an open frame encoding a protein of 1274 amino acids, similar to other botulinum neurotoxins. Upstream of the toxin gene is the end of an open reading frame which encodes the C-terminus of a protein with homology to non-toxic-non-hemagglutinin component of type C progenitor toxin.     

Enzymatic autocatalysis of botulinum A neurotoxin light chain

Highly purified recombinant zinc-endopeptidase light chain of the botulinum neurotoxin serotype A underwent autocatalytic proteolytic processing and fragmentation. In the absence of added zinc, initially 10-28 residues were cleaved from the C-terminal end of the 448-residue protein followed by the appearance of an SDS-stable dimer and finally fragmentation near the middle of the molecule. In the presence of added zinc, the rate of fragmentation was accelerated but the specificity of the cleavable bond changed, suggesting a structural role for zinc in the light chain. The C-terminal proteolytic processing was reduced, and fragmentation near the middle of the molecule was prevented by adding the metal chelator TPEN to the light chain. Similarly, adding a competitive peptide inhibitor (CRATKML) of the light-chain catalytic activity also greatly reduced the proteolysis. With these results, for the first time, we provide clear evidence that the loss of C-terminal peptides and fragmentation of the light chain are enzymatic and autocatalytic. By isolating both the large and small peptides, we sequenced them by Edman degradation and ESIMS-MS, and mapped the sites of proteolysis. We also found that proteolysis occurred at F266-G267, F419-T420, F423-E424, R432-G433, and C430-V431 bonds in addition to the previously reported Y250-Y251 and K438-T439 bonds.     

A novel type A2 neurotoxin gene cluster in Clostridium botulinum strain Mascarpone

The partial nucleotide sequence ( approximately 10 kb) of the cluster of genes encoding the botulinum neurotoxin complex in Clostridium botulinum type A strain Mascarpone was determined. The analysis revealed six ORFs (orfs), which were organized as in the type A2 and type A3 botulinum neurotoxin gene clusters of strains Kyoto-F and NCTC 2916, respectively. While the orfs at the proximal and distal ends of the sequence (orfX2 and bont/A genes) shared a high level of similarity with the corresponding sequences of strain Kyoto-F, the segment encompassing the orfX1 and botR/A genes within the sequence exhibited a higher degree of homology to the related region in strain NCTC 2916. The mosaic structure of the Mascarpone neurotoxin gene cluster suggests recombinational exchanges.     

A型肉毒毒素表位多肽免疫和人源噬茵体单链抗体文库的构建

采用表位合成多肽免疫获得编码人源抗体的基因材料,抗体轻重链可变区基因通过剪接重叠延伸(SOE)技术进行组装后,亚克隆入噬菌体粒中构建免疫库。以重组制备的A型肉毒毒素保护性抗原为配体筛选结合子,ELISA鉴定,获得具有较高抗原结合力的噬菌体克隆,进行基因测序和家族定位分析。结果显示,表位合成多肽免疫,成功构建了库容大于10^8的重组抗体库。体外3轮免疫淘筛,筛选到人源A型肉毒抗毒素克隆,基因结构分析表明,其中ScFvB17全长750bp,可编码250个氨基酸残基：VH属于VH4家族,369bp,编码123个氨基酸残基;Vκ属于κ链Ⅱ家族,336bp,编码112个氨基酸残基。基因的同源分析表明,这是一株特异的单链抗体新基因。     

Cloning of a Clostridium botulinum type B toxin gene fragment encoding the N-terminus of the heavy chain

Two lambda gt11 clones of the toxin gene of Clostridium botulinum type B were identified by the monoclonal antibody specific to the heavy chain of type B toxin. Neither of the expressed fusion proteins from the lysates of lysogenic E. coli Y1089 showed any botulinal toxic activity. One of the clones hybridized to the oligonucleotide probe which was synthesized according to the amino acid sequence of N-terminus of heavy chain. The sequence analysis revealed that highly homologous regions in N-terminus of heavy chain exist among botulinum neurotoxins (type A, B) and tetanus toxin on the amino acid sequence level.     

Plasmid localization of a type E botulinal neurotoxin gene homologue in toxigenic Clostridium butyricum strains, and absence of this gene in non-toxigenic C. butyricum strains

It has been shown recently that two Clostridium butyricum strains (ATCC 43181 and ATCC 43755) contain a botulinal neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E) gene closely related to that of C. botulinum type E. In this study, we show that this gene is located on a large plasmid in the two toxigenic C. butyricum strains and is absent in 18 non-toxigenic C. butyricum and C. beijerinckii strains. Interestingly, the 230 bp upstream and the 1260 bp downstream of the neurotoxin coding sequence are not present in either the non-toxigenic C. butyricum or C. beijerinckii strains. Our data suggest a BoNT/E gene transfer from C. botulinum E to originally non-toxigenic C. butyricum strains.     

A matrix-focused structure-activity and binding site flexibility study of quinolinol inhibitors of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A

Our initial discovery of 8-hydroxyquinoline inhibitors of BoNT/A and separation/testing of enantiomers of one of the more active leads indicated considerable flexibility in the binding site. We designed a limited study to investigate this flexibility and probe structure-activity relationships; utilizing the Betti reaction, a 36 compound matrix of quinolinol BoNT/A LC inhibitors was developed using three 8-hydroxyquinolines, three heteroaromatic amines, and four substituted benzaldehydes. This study has revealed some of the most effective quinolinol-based BoNT/A inhibitors to date, with 7 compounds displaying IC₅₀ values ?1 μM and 11 effective at ?2 μM in an ex vivo assay.     

A型肉毒神经毒素(BoNT/A)基因序列分析及其B细胞表位预测

比较GenBank中4个不同毒株的A型肉毒神经毒素（BoNT／A）的基因组序列,发现其基因序列的一致性高迭92．2％-99．9％。基于保守性高的BoNT／A氨基酸序列,根据BioSun和LaserGene软件包中的表住分析相关参数,辅以对BoNT／A蛋白的二级结构的分析,综合预测BoNT／A的B细胞表位。结果表明,BoNT／A轻链的142-150、284-292区段,轻链的284-292,重链的440-450、465-480、538-549、699-710、751-760、1087-1095、1224-1231、1263-1270区段是B细胞表位优势区的可能性较大。多参数方案井结合不同软件综合预测BoNT／A蛋白的B细胞表位,为进一步实验鉴定BoNT／A的B细胞表位及其多表位疫苗设计和研究奠定了基础。