Structural basis for recognition of synaptic vesicle protein 2C by botulinum neurotoxin A

  • Nature. 2014 Jan 2;505(7481):108-11. doi: 10.1038/nature12732.
Roger M Benoit  1 ,  Daniel Frey  2 ,  Manuel Hilbert  2 ,  Josta T Kevenaar  3 ,  Mara M Wieser  1 ,  Christian U Stirnimann  4 ,  David McMillan  5 ,  Tom Ceska  5 ,  Florence Lebon  6 ,  Rolf Jaussi  1 ,  Michel O Steinmetz  1 ,  Gebhard F X Schertler  7 ,  Casper C Hoogenraad  8 ,  Guido Capitani  1 ,  Richard A Kammerer  1
Affiliations
  • 1. Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
  • 2. 1] Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland [2].
  • 3. 1] Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands [2].
  • 4. Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
  • 5. UCB Celltech, UCB Pharma, UCB NewMedicines, Slough SL1 4EN, UK.
  • 6. UCB Pharma, UCB NewMedicines, B-1420 Braine-L'Alleud, Belgium.
  • 7. 1] Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland [2] Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
  • 8. Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.
PMID: 24240280 DOI: 10.1038/nature12732
Abstract

Botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) belongs to the most dangerous class of bioweapons. Despite this, BoNT/A is used to treat a wide range of common medical conditions such as migraines and a variety of ocular motility and movement disorders. BoNT/A is probably best known for its use as an antiwrinkle agent in cosmetic applications (including Botox and Dysport). BoNT/A application causes long-lasting flaccid paralysis of muscles through inhibiting the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine by cleaving synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP-25) within presynaptic nerve terminals. Two types of BoNT/A receptor have been identified, both of which are required for BoNT/A toxicity and are therefore likely to cooperate with each other: gangliosides and members of the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2) family, which are putative transporter proteins that are predicted to have 12 transmembrane domains, associate with the receptor-binding domain of the toxin. Recently, Fibroblast Growth Factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) has also been reported to be a potential BoNT/A receptor. In SV2 proteins, the BoNT/A-binding site has been mapped to the luminal domain, but the molecular details of the interaction between BoNT/A and SV2 are unknown. Here we determined the high-resolution crystal structure of the BoNT/A receptor-binding domain (BoNT/A-RBD) in complex with the SV2C luminal domain (SV2C-LD). SV2C-LD consists of a right-handed, quadrilateral β-helix that associates with BoNT/A-RBD mainly through backbone-to-backbone interactions at open β-strand edges, in a manner that resembles the inter-strand interactions in amyloid structures. Competition experiments identified a peptide that inhibits the formation of the complex. Our findings provide a strong platform for the development of novel antitoxin agents and for the rational design of BoNT/A variants with improved therapeutic properties.