Structural highlights
Function
[TETX_CLOTE] Tetanus toxin acts by inhibiting neurotransmitter release. It binds to peripheral neuronal synapses, is internalized and moves by retrograde transport up the axon into the spinal cord where it can move between postsynaptic and presynaptic neurons. It inhibits neurotransmitter release by acting as a zinc endopeptidase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the '76-Gln-|-Phe-77' bond of synaptobrevin-2.
Evolutionary Conservation
Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf.
Publication Abstract from PubMed
TeNT is the causative agent of the neuroparalytic disease tetanus. A key component of TeNT is its light chain, a Zn(2+) endopeptidase that targets SNAREs. Recent structural studies of closely related BoNT endopeptidases indicate that substrate-binding exosites remote from a conserved active site are the primary determinants of substrate specificity. Here we report the 2.3 A X-ray crystal structure of TeNT-LC, determined by combined molecular replacement and MAD phasing. As expected, the overall structure of TeNT-LC is similar to the other known CNT light chain structures, including a conserved thermolysin-like core inserted between structurally distinct amino- and carboxy-terminal regions. Differences between TeNT-LC and the other CNT light chains are mainly limited to surface features such as unique electrostatic potential profiles. An analysis of surface residue conservation reveals a pattern of relatively high variability matching the path of substrate binding around BoNT/A, possibly serving to accommodate the variations in different SNARE targets of the CNT group.
2.3 A crystal structure of tetanus neurotoxin light chain.,Breidenbach MA, Brunger AT Biochemistry. 2005 May 24;44(20):7450-7. PMID:15895988[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Breidenbach MA, Brunger AT. 2.3 A crystal structure of tetanus neurotoxin light chain. Biochemistry. 2005 May 24;44(20):7450-7. PMID:15895988 doi:10.1021/bi050262j
