Recent developments in cell-based assays and stem cell technologies for botulinum neurotoxin research and drug discovery

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are exceptionally potent inhibitors of neurotransmission, causing muscle paralysis and respiratory failure associated with the disease botulism. Currently, no drugs are available to counter intracellular BoNT poisoning. To develop effective medical treatments, cell-based assays provide a valuable system to identify novel inhibitors in a time- and cost-efficient manner. Consequently, cell-based systems including immortalized cells, primary neurons, and stem-cell derived neurons have been established. Stem cell-derived neurons are highly sensitive to BoNT intoxication and represent an ideal model to study the biological effects of BoNTs. Robust immunoassays are used to quantify BoNT activity and play a central role during inhibitor screening. In this review, we examine recent progress in physiologically relevant cell-based assays and high-throughput screening approaches for the identification of both direct and indirect BoNT inhibitors

N-linked glycosylation of SV2 is required for binding and uptake of botulinum neurotoxin A

Botulinum neurotoxin serotype A1 (BoNT/A1) is one of the most dangerous potential bioterrorism agents, and exerts its action by invading motoneurons. It is also a licensed drug widely used for medical and cosmetic applications. Here we report a 2.0 Å resolution crystal structure of BoNT/A1 receptor-binding domain in complex with its neuronal receptor, the glycosylated human SV2C. We find that the neuronal tropism of BoNT/A1 requires recognition of both the peptide moiety and an N-linked glycan on SV2. This N-glycan—conserved in all SV2 isoforms across vertebrates—is essential for BoNT/A1 binding to neurons and its potent neurotoxicity. The glycan-binding interface on SV2 is targeted by a human BoNT/A1-neutralizing antibody currently licensed as an anti-botulism drug. Our studies reveal a new paradigm of host-pathogen interactions, in which pathogens exploit conserved host post-translational modifications to achieve highly specific receptor binding while also tolerating genetic changes across multiple isoforms of receptors