1 research outputs found
Nanopore Sensing of Botulinum Toxin Type B by Discriminating an Enzymatically Cleaved Peptide from a Synaptic Protein Synaptobrevin 2 Derivative
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are
the most lethal toxin known to human. Biodefense requires early and
rapid detection of BoNTs. Traditionally, BoNTs can be detected by
looking for signs of botulism in mice that receive an injection of
human material, serum or stool. While the living animal assay remains
the most sensitive approach, it is costly, slow and associated with
legal and ethical constrains. Various biochemical, optical and mechanical
methods have been developed for BoNTs detection with improved speed,
but with lesser sensitivity. Here, we report a novel nanopore-based
BoNT type B (BoNT-B) sensor that monitors the toxin’s enzymatic
activity on its substrate, a recombinant synaptic protein synaptobrevin
2 derivative. By analyzing the modulation of the pore current caused
by the specific BoNT-B-digested peptide as a marker, the presence
of BoNT-B at a subnanomolar concentration was identified within minutes.
The nanopore detector would fill the niche for a much needed rapid
and highly sensitive detection of neurotoxins, and provide an excellent
system to explore biophysical mechanisms for biopolymer transportation