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Molecular landscape of BoNT/B bound to a membrane-inserted synaptotagmin/ganglioside complex

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Abstract

Botulinum neurotoxin serotype B (BoNT/B) uses two separate protein and polysialoglycolipid-binding pockets to interact with synaptotagmin 1/2 and gangliosides. However, an integrated model of BoNT/B bound to its neuronal receptors in a native membrane topology is still lacking. Using a panel of in silico and experimental approaches, we present here a new model for BoNT/B binding to neuronal membranes, in which the toxin binds to a preassembled synaptotagmin-ganglioside GT1b complex and a free ganglioside allowing a lipid-binding loop of BoNT/B to interact with the glycone part of the synaptotagmin-associated GT1b. Furthermore, our data provide molecular support for the decrease in BoNT/B sensitivity in Felidae that harbor the natural variant synaptotagmin2-N59Q. These results reveal multiple interactions of BoNT/B with gangliosides and support a novel paradigm in which a toxin recognizes a protein/ganglioside complex.

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Data availability

Coordinates of structural Details of BoNT/B/synaptotagmin 1 & 2/gangliosides complexes are available upon request.

Abbreviations

BoNTs:

Botulinum neurotoxins

HC:

Heavy chain

GBS1:

Ganglioside-binding site

SYT:

Synaptotagmin

LBL:

Lipid-binding loop

JMD:

Juxtamembrane domain

TMD:

Transmembrane domain

DMPC:

1,2-Dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

DPPC:

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine

IR:

Immunoreactivity

ROI:

Regions of interest

RMS:

Root-mean-square

Glc:

Glucose

Gal:

Galactose

Gal-Nac:

N-acetylgalactosamine

Sia:

Sialic acid

Cer:

Ceramide

SPR:

Surface Plasmon Resonance

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Acknowledgements

We thank Raymond Miquelis for constructive discussions.

Funding

Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) (grant ANR-17-CE16-0022) for the postdoctoral financial support of JRF Ministère des Armées (AID) and Aix-Marseille Université AMU for the PhD thesis of FO.

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Author notes

  1. Jorge Ramirez-Franco and Fodil Azzaz contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1INSERM, Aix-Marseille Université (AMU), UMR 1072, Unité de Neurobiologie des canaux Ioniques et de la Synapse, 13015, Marseille, France

    Jorge Ramirez-Franco, Fodil Azzaz, Marion Sangiardi, Fahamoe Youssouf, Michael Seagar, Christian Lévêque, Jacques Fantini & Oussama El Far

  2. Aix-Marseille Université (AMU), CNRS, INP, Institute of Neurophysiopathology, UMR7051, PINT, PFNT, Marseille, France

    Géraldine Ferracci

  3. Institut Pasteur, Unité des Toxines Bactériennes, UMR CNRS 2001, Paris, France

    Michel Robert Popoff

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  1. Jorge Ramirez-Franco
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Contributions

CL, OEF and MS conceived the study. CL and OEF supervised the entire project, the experimental design, data interpretation and manuscript preparation. CL and OEF analyzed and interpreted the data. JRF and CL performed immunofluorescence experiments, JRF acquired the corresponding images and performed treatment and analysis. FA performed molecular modelling and prepared with JRF molecular modelling figures. CL and GF performed SPR experiments. JF performed Langmuir monolayer experiments. FY and MS performed expression plasmids preparation and preliminary expression tests. CL performed SPR experiments. C.L. wrote the original draft of the manuscript. CL, FA, JF, OEF and JRF prepared the figures. MRP was involved in discussion and data analysis. All authors edited and reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Christian Lévêque or Oussama El Far.

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Ramirez-Franco, J., Azzaz, F., Sangiardi, M. et al. Molecular landscape of BoNT/B bound to a membrane-inserted synaptotagmin/ganglioside complex. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 79, 496 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-022-04527-4

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