How to block botox

From both chemical weapons inspectors and plastic surgeons, botulinum toxins are the focus of intense interest. But how do these incredibly toxic proteins get into cells? On page 1293, Dong et al. demonstrate that botulinum neurotoxin B (BoNT/B) uses the vesicle proteins synaptotagmin I and synaptotagmin II as cellular receptors, and that a fragment of synaptotagmin II can inhibit the toxin's effects in animals.

Of the seven known neurotoxins expressed by Clostridium botulinum, BoNT/A, B, and E are the most common causes of botulism in humans and the major choices for both bioterrorist and pharmaceutical uses. In previous work, researchers identified several cellular proteins that can bind to these toxins, but there were conflicting data about which, if any, of the candidate receptors actually mediate cellular entry. Once inside neurons, the toxins...