Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Tetanus01:29

Tetanus

Tetanus is a life-threatening neurological disorder characterized by persistent muscle contractions and spastic paralysis. It is caused by Clostridium tetani, a motile, Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobe. These bacteria produce terminal endospores, giving them a distinctive “lollipop” or “tennis-racket” appearance. They thrive in anaerobic environments, such as those found in deep puncture wounds.Once introduced into the body, the spores germinate into vegetative cells. These cells...
Botulism01:22

Botulism

Botulism is a life-threatening neuroparalytic condition caused by botulinum neurotoxin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, a Gram-positive, spore-forming, obligate anaerobe.In adults, the toxin enters the body in different ways: in foodborne botulism, the preformed toxin is absorbed in the intestine. In wound botulism, spores grow in injured tissue and release the toxin into the blood. Infant botulism differs mechanistically from adult forms. In infants, botulism commonly...
Bacterial Toxins01:12

Bacterial Toxins

Bacterial toxins are sophisticated virulence factors that enable pathogenic bacteria to interact with, invade, and damage host tissues. These toxins fall broadly into two types: protein exotoxins, which are secreted into the environment and target specific host receptors, and lipopolysaccharide endotoxins, which are structural components of the bacterial outer membrane released primarily during bacterial lysis or membrane shedding. Exotoxins generally act more selectively, binding to cell...
Directly Acting Muscle Relaxants: Dantrolene and Botulinum Toxin01:26

Directly Acting Muscle Relaxants: Dantrolene and Botulinum Toxin

Directly acting muscle relaxants like dantrolene and botulinum toxin (BoNT) have distinct mechanisms and applications. Dantrolene, a hydantoin derivative, acts on the ryanodine receptor (RYR1) in skeletal muscle cells. RYR1 are calcium channels present at the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. In response to excitation, they release calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol. Calcium promotes actin-myosin-mediated contraction of muscles.
The binding of dantrolene to the RYR1...
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors01:27

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane01:26

Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane

Proteins and neurotransmitters in secretory vesicles can be released from a cell upon vesicle docking, priming, and fusion with the plasma membrane. Vesicles are docked and primed in preparation for the quick exocytosis of their contents in response to a stimulus. The fusion process is mainly carried out by a SNAP Receptor or SNARE complex, consisting of synaptobrevin, syntaxin-1, and SNAP-25.
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells derived from mouse embryonic stem cells give rise to type-1 and type-2 astrocytes in vitro.

Neuroscience letters·2012
Same author

[Kinase-Glo luminescent kinase assay for in vitro determination of PKA activity].

Xi bao yu fen zi mian yi xue za zhi = Chinese journal of cellular and molecular immunology·2012
Same author

Functional characterization of an arrestin gene on insecticide resistance of Culex pipiens pallens.

Parasites & vectors·2012
Same author

MiR-23a inhibits myogenic differentiation through down regulation of fast myosin heavy chain isoforms.

Experimental cell research·2012
Same author

Let-7b inhibits human cancer phenotype by targeting cytochrome P450 epoxygenase 2J2.

PloS one·2012
Same author

Role of IKK/NF-κB signaling in extinction of conditioned place aversion memory in rats.

PloS one·2012
Same journal

Aromatic Cage-Directed Azide-Methyllysine Photochemistry for Profiling Nonhistone Interacting Partners of the MeCP2 Methyl-CpG-Binding Domain.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Differential Hydroxypyruvate Processing by <i>E. coli</i> and <i>P. aeruginosa</i> DXP Synthases Reveals Preferential Xylulose 5-Phosphate Formation by the <i>P. aeruginosa</i> Enzyme.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Structural and Functional Characterization of Heterologous Nitrogenase Complexes.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Discovery of Bacterial Unspecific Peroxygenases.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Lactate Biology: Subcellular Routing and Chemical Form Define Function.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Nature's Anaerobic Toolkit: Glycyl Radical Enzymes and Their Expanding Functional and Mechanistic Diversity.

Biochemistry·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Detection of Toxin Translocation into the Host Cytosol by Surface Plasmon Resonance
10:41

Detection of Toxin Translocation into the Host Cytosol by Surface Plasmon Resonance

Published on: January 3, 2012

Molecular basis for tetanus toxin coreceptor interactions.

Chen Chen1, Michael R Baldwin, Joseph T Barbieri

  • 1Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA.

Biochemistry
|June 12, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Tetanus toxin (TeNT) uses dual binding pockets to attach to neurons. This synergistic binding to gangliosides and sialic acids facilitates high-affinity neuronal entry.

More Related Videos

A High-throughput-compatible FRET-based Platform for Identification and Characterization of Botulinum Neurotoxin Light Chain Modulators
10:30

A High-throughput-compatible FRET-based Platform for Identification and Characterization of Botulinum Neurotoxin Light Chain Modulators

Published on: December 27, 2013

Isolation and Quantification of Botulinum Neurotoxin From Complex Matrices Using the BoTest Matrix Assays
12:25

Isolation and Quantification of Botulinum Neurotoxin From Complex Matrices Using the BoTest Matrix Assays

Published on: March 3, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Detection of Toxin Translocation into the Host Cytosol by Surface Plasmon Resonance
10:41

Detection of Toxin Translocation into the Host Cytosol by Surface Plasmon Resonance

Published on: January 3, 2012

A High-throughput-compatible FRET-based Platform for Identification and Characterization of Botulinum Neurotoxin Light Chain Modulators
10:30

A High-throughput-compatible FRET-based Platform for Identification and Characterization of Botulinum Neurotoxin Light Chain Modulators

Published on: December 27, 2013

Isolation and Quantification of Botulinum Neurotoxin From Complex Matrices Using the BoTest Matrix Assays
12:25

Isolation and Quantification of Botulinum Neurotoxin From Complex Matrices Using the BoTest Matrix Assays

Published on: March 3, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Tetanus toxin (TeNT) causes spastic paralysis by cleaving VAMP-2 in central nervous system neurons.
  • TeNT travels from peripheral nerve endings to interneuronal junctions, but its initial neuronal entry receptors are not fully understood.
  • Previous research suggests TeNT utilizes both ganglioside and sialic acid binding pockets, with GT1b interacting with each.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the ganglioside binding specificity and functional properties of TeNT's carbohydrate binding pockets.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of TeNT's high-affinity binding to neuronal coreceptors.

Main Methods:

  • Solid phase assays were employed to analyze the binding specificities of TeNT's ganglioside and sialic acid binding pockets.
  • Investigated the role of functional binding pockets in the high-affinity binding of gangliosides to the TeNT heavy chain region (HCR).

Main Results:

  • The ganglioside binding pocket recognizes the Gal-GalNAc backbone, independent of sialic acids, with GM1a as an optimal substrate.
  • The sialic acid binding pocket preferentially binds sialic acids (5) and (7) in 'b' series gangliosides over 'a' series.
  • High-affinity ganglioside binding to TeNT HCR necessitates functional ganglioside and sialic acid binding pockets, indicating synergistic coreceptor engagement.

Conclusions:

  • Tetanus toxin employs a synergistic binding mechanism involving distinct ganglioside and sialic acid binding pockets for high-affinity neuronal attachment.
  • This study proposes a model for how TeNT utilizes coreceptors to achieve efficient entry into nerve cells.