Definition of Botulinum toxin
1. Noun. Any of several neurotoxins that are produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum; causes muscle paralysis.
Medical Definition of Botulinum toxin
1.
Neurotoxin (50 kD, 7 distinct serotypes) produced by certain strains of Clostridium botulinum.
The bacterium produces the toxin as a complex with a haemagglutinin that prevents toxin inactivation in the gut. Proteolysis in the body results in cleavage into two fragments A and B. B binds to gangliosides and may stimulate the endocytosis of fragment A.
See: synaptobrevin, tetanus toxin.
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Botulinum Toxin
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