• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.161-164
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• 2003

Recombinant light chain of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type B stimulated transglutaminase activity in a dose dependent manner, Compared to native toxin, recombinant light chain showed av greater stimulatory effect on transglutaminase activity. Zn-chelating agents, inhibiting the proteolytic activity of the clostridial toxins, did not interfere with this stimulation. These results suggest that the light chain plays a major stimulatory role, which is not due to its metallopeptidase activity, but is possibly due to specific interaction with transglutaminase. More importantly, this report provides a new insight into the intracellular action of C. botulinum neurotoxins.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.417-421
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• 1997

Synaptobrevin is a kind of vesicle associated membrane proteins (VAMPs) which plays a secretary role in the neuronal synapse and was recently known as the biochemical target of botulinum neurotoxin type B. The structural gene of the synaptobrevin was cloned from mouse brain using RT-PCR technique and was seqrtenced. The deduced amino acid sequence showed that the synaptobrevin protein from mouse brain is exactly the same with that of the rat brain in the amino acid level. The synaptobrevin gene was subcloned into pET3a vector and expressed in E. coli. The molecular weight of the recombinant protein was 19 kDa as expected. Moreover, when the recombinant synaptobrevin protein was incubated with the native neurotoxin of Clostridium botulinum type B, it was cleaved by the toxin in a time dependent manner. This implies that the recombinant synaptobrevin protein and the native toxin are reacted in the same way as the native synaptobrevin did in the neuronal cells.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.499-505
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• 2006

Clostridium botulinum spores are widely distributed in nature. Type A and proteolytic type B bacteria produce heat-resistant spores that are primarily involved in most of the food-borne botulism outbreaks associated with low-acid canned foods. Food-borne botulism results from the consumption of food in which C. botulinum has grown and produced neurotoxin. Growth and toxin production of type A and proteolytic type B in canned foods can be prevented by the use of thermal sterilization alone or in combination with salt and nitrite. The hazardousness of C. botulinum in low-acid canned foods can also be reduced by preventing post-process contamination and introducing hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) practices during production. Effectiveness of non-thermal technologies such as high pressure processing with elevated process temperatures on inactivation of spores of C. botulinum will be discussed.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.183-188
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• 1982

Clostidium botulinum type B가 생성하는 독소를 정제할 수 있는 방법을 연구하였다. 정제과정은 독소를 ammonium sulfate로 배양액에서 침전시켜 추출한후 Polymin P를 처리하여 핵산 및 기타 단백질을 최대한 제거한 후 Sephaex G-I00에서 gel fiItration을 시키고 DEAE-Sephadex로 이온교환 크로마토그래피를 시켰다. 이러한 과정으로 정제된 독소의 회수율은 17%였으며 SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis 결과 하나의 선을 나타내 동질성을 증명하였다. 정제된 독소의 분자량은 163,000이였으며 $\beta$-mercaptoethanol을 사용하여 환원시킨 결과 분자량 106,000과 56,000의 하위 단위체로 분리되었다.

• 대한미생물학회지
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• 제35권5_6호
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• pp.344-345
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• 2000

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.329-337
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• 2007

An enrichment semi-nested PCR procedure was developed for detection of Clostridium botulinum types A, B, E, and F. It was applied to sediment samples to examine the prevalence of C. botulinum in the Korean environment. The first pair of primers for the semi-nested PCR was designed using a region shared by the types A, B, E, and F neurotoxin gene sequences, and the second round employed four nested primers complementary to the BoNT/A, /B, /E, and /F encoding genes for simultaneous detection of the four serotypes. Positive results were obtained from the PCR analysis of five of 44 sediments (11%) collected from Yeong-am Lake in Korea; all were identified as deriving from type B neurotoxin (bontb) genes. Two of the C. botulinum type B organisms were isolated, and their bontb genes sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequences of BoNT/B showed 99.5 and 99.8% identity with the amino acid sequence of accession no. AB084152. Our data suggest that semi-nested PCR is a useful tool for detecting C. botulinum in sediments, and renders it practicable to conduct environmental surveys.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제21권7호
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• pp.719-727
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• 2011

Botulism is a neuroparalytic disease caused by Clostridium botulinum, which produces seven (A-G) antigenically diverse neurotoxins (BoNTs). BoNTs are the most poisonous substances known to humans, with a median lethal dose ($LD_{50}$) of approximately 1 ng/kg of body weight. Owing to their extreme potency and lethality, they have the potential to be used as a bioterrorism agent. The mouse bioassay is the gold standard for the detection of botulinum neurotoxins; however, it requires at least 3-4 days for completion. Attempts have been made to develop an ELISA-based detection system, which is potentially an easier and more rapid method of botulinum neurotoxin detection. The present study was designed using a synthetic gene approach. The synthetic gene encoding the catalytic domain of BoNT serotype B from amino acids 1-450 was constructed with PCR overlapping primers (BoNT/B LC), cloned in a pQE30 UA vector, and expressed in an E. coli M15 host system. Recombinant protein production was optimized at 0.5 mM IPTG final concentration, 4 h post induction, resulting in a maximum yield of recombinant proteins. The immunogenic nature of the recombinant BoNT/B LC protein was evaluated by ELISA. Antibodies were raised in BALB/c mice using various adjuvants. A significant rise in antibody titer (p<0.05) was observed in the Alum group, followed by the Titermax Classic group, Freund's adjuvant, and the Titermax Gold group. These developed high-titer antibodies may prove useful for the detection of botulinum neurotoxins in food and clinical samples.

• 미생물학회지
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.71-80
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• 1975

The neurotoxin of Clostridium botulinum type B was purified from a liquid culture. The purification steps consist of ammonium sulfate precipitation of whole culture, treatment of Polymin P(0.15%, v/v), gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 at pH5.6 and DEAE-Sephadex charomatography at pH8.0. The procedure recovered 17% of the toxin assayed in the starting culture. The toxin was homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and had a molecular weight of 163,000. Subunits of 106,000 and 56,000 molecular weight were found when purified toxin was treated with a disulfide-reducing agent and electro phoresed on SDS-polyacrylamide gels.