References & Sources  -  October 3, 1998

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Killer toxin’s punch lies below the belt

The newly determined three-dimensional structure of the toxin that causes botulism reveals a surprising feature that may require new approaches to development of treatments for the deadly, muscle-paralyzing disease.

 

References:

Lacy, D.B. . . . B.R. DasGupta. 1998. Crystal structure of botulinum neurotoxin type A and implications for toxicity. Nature Structural Biology 5(October):898.

 

Further Readings:

1986. Botulism: New drug buys time. Science News 130(Aug. 2):76.

Chen, I. 1991. Toxin to the rescue. Science News 139(Jan. 19):42.

Additional information about botulism can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/foodborn/botu.htm.

 

Sources:

Bibhuti R. DasGupta
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Food Microbiology and Toxicology
1925 Willow Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1187

Eric A. Johnson
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Food Research Institute
Department of Food Microbiology and Toxicology
Department of Bacteriology
1925 Willow Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1187

Frank Lebeda
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases
Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry
1425 Porter Street
Ft. Detrick, MD 21702-5011

From Science News, Vol. 154, No. 14, October 3, 1998, p. 213.
Copyright Ó 1998 by Science Service.

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