EFFECT OF GUANDINIUM SALTS ON THE TOXICITY OF BOTULINUM TOXIN
Abstract
The effect of guanidinium salts on the stability of botulinum toxin and the mechanisms through which denaturation by these salts occurs is described. Some salts are effective in reducing toxicity at low concentrations; in others, toxicity is retainedeven in saturated solution. The nature of the interaction is complex, involving more than a change in folding or conformation. The hypothesis that salt solutions with high thermodynamic water activity labilize the hydrogen-bonded structure of the protein is shown to be invalid. Also shown to be inapplicable is the hypothesis that a direct effect of the anion on the quanidinium cation leads to a reduction of its thermodynamic activity and ability to break hydrogen bonds. The protective mechanism appears to operate via binding of anions across clusters of cationic sites on the charged protein to preserve spatial configurations and charge distributions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0424666
Entities
People
- David Stefanye
- Edward J. Schantz
- Leonard Sepro
- Robert T. Iwamasa
Organizations
- United States Army Biological Warfare Laboratories