Specific binding of staphylococcal alpha-toxin to isolated rabbit vagus nerves in vitro

The binding of staphylococcal [125I]alpha-toxin to rabbit vagus nerves in vitro was a saturable process. The radiolabeled alpha-toxin binding was reduced by the coaddition of added navive alpha-toxin, indicating that the binding is specific. Sucrose gradient analysis of detergent-extracted complexes of [125I]alpha-toxin-rabbit vagus nerves showed both high and low S-value peaks analogous to those observed with similarly treated alpha-toxin-rabbit erythrocyte preparations (P. Cassidy and S. Harshman, Biochemistry, in press).