GANGLIOSIDE-INDUCED ADHERENCE OF BOTULINUM AND TETANUS NEUROTOXINS TOADDUCIN

Preincubation of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A, B, or E with ganglio side GT1b was previously found to enhance adherence of botulinum neuro toxin to synapsin I and an similar to 116-kDa bovine brain synaptosoma l protein; in contrast, adherence to these two proteins by tetanus neu rotoxin required preincubation with GT1b. We have now found that prein cubation of the neurotoxins with ganglioside GD3 enhances their adhere nce to the similar to 116-kDa protein more than that with GT1b. A puri fied preparation of the water-soluble similar to 116-kDa protein was o btained from bovine brain synaptosomes by preparative column sodium do decyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional g el electrophoresis. N-Terminal amino acid sequences were obtained for two tryptic fragments of the similar to 116-kDa protein. These sequenc es matched with the data bank sequences for beta-adducin, a cytoskelet al protein. The carboxy-terminal tail region of adducin, but not the h ead region, was adhered to by the neurotoxins. Adherence of the neurot oxin to adducin and synapsin I may facilitate presentation of the neur otoxin to its specific substrate(s).