Abstract
Clostridial neurotoxins, including tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins, generally target vertebrates. We show here that this family of toxins has a much broader host spectrum, by identifying PMP1, a clostridial-like neurotoxin that selectively targets anopheline mosquitoes. Isolation of PMP1 from Paraclostridium bifermentans strains collected in anopheline endemic areas on two continents indicates it is widely distributed. The toxin likely evolved from an ancestral form that targets the nervous system of similar organisms, using a common mechanism that disrupts SNARE-mediated exocytosis. It cleaves the mosquito syntaxin and employs a unique receptor recognition strategy. Our research has an important impact on the study of the evolution of clostridial neurotoxins and provides the basis for the use of P. bifermentans strains and PMP1 as innovative, environmentally friendly approaches to reduce malaria through anopheline control.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 2869 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Nature Communications |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 28 Jun 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 28 Jun 2019 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Chemistry(all)
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
Cite this
A neurotoxin that specifically targets Anopheles mosquitoes. / Contreras, Estefania; Masuyer, Geoffrey; Qureshi, Nadia; Chawla, Swati; Dhillon, Harpal S.; Lee, Han Lim; Chen, Jianwu; Stenmark, Pål; Gill, Sarjeet S.
In: Nature Communications, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2869, 28.06.2019, p. 1-10.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A neurotoxin that specifically targets Anopheles mosquitoes
AU - Contreras, Estefania
AU - Masuyer, Geoffrey
AU - Qureshi, Nadia
AU - Chawla, Swati
AU - Dhillon, Harpal S.
AU - Lee, Han Lim
AU - Chen, Jianwu
AU - Stenmark, Pål
AU - Gill, Sarjeet S.
PY - 2019/6/28
Y1 - 2019/6/28
N2 - Clostridial neurotoxins, including tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins, generally target vertebrates. We show here that this family of toxins has a much broader host spectrum, by identifying PMP1, a clostridial-like neurotoxin that selectively targets anopheline mosquitoes. Isolation of PMP1 from Paraclostridium bifermentans strains collected in anopheline endemic areas on two continents indicates it is widely distributed. The toxin likely evolved from an ancestral form that targets the nervous system of similar organisms, using a common mechanism that disrupts SNARE-mediated exocytosis. It cleaves the mosquito syntaxin and employs a unique receptor recognition strategy. Our research has an important impact on the study of the evolution of clostridial neurotoxins and provides the basis for the use of P. bifermentans strains and PMP1 as innovative, environmentally friendly approaches to reduce malaria through anopheline control.
AB - Clostridial neurotoxins, including tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins, generally target vertebrates. We show here that this family of toxins has a much broader host spectrum, by identifying PMP1, a clostridial-like neurotoxin that selectively targets anopheline mosquitoes. Isolation of PMP1 from Paraclostridium bifermentans strains collected in anopheline endemic areas on two continents indicates it is widely distributed. The toxin likely evolved from an ancestral form that targets the nervous system of similar organisms, using a common mechanism that disrupts SNARE-mediated exocytosis. It cleaves the mosquito syntaxin and employs a unique receptor recognition strategy. Our research has an important impact on the study of the evolution of clostridial neurotoxins and provides the basis for the use of P. bifermentans strains and PMP1 as innovative, environmentally friendly approaches to reduce malaria through anopheline control.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068173930&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-019-10732-w
DO - 10.1038/s41467-019-10732-w
M3 - Article
C2 - 31253776
AN - SCOPUS:85068173930
VL - 10
SP - 1
EP - 10
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
IS - 1
M1 - 2869
ER -