Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
Correspondence should be addressed to Subramanyam Swaminathan swami@bnl.gov
Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins are among the most potent toxins to humans. The crystal structures of intact C. botulinum neurotoxin type B (BoNT/B) and its complex with sialyllactose, determined at 1.8 and 2.6 Å resolution, respectively, provide insight into its catalytic and binding sites. The position of the belt region in BoNT/B is different from that in BoNT/A; this observation presents interesting possibilities for designing specific inhibitors that could be used to block the activity of this neurotoxin. The structures of BoNT/B and its complex with sialyllactose provide a detailed description of the active site and a model for interactions between the toxin and its cell surface receptor. The latter may provide valuable information for recombinant vaccine development.
