C2 Toxin as a Research Tool

The potential value of C2 toxin as a research tool depends on the vulnerability of cells. The experimental approach is straightforward when cells are susceptible to natural poisoning, because the two components of C2 toxin can be added to the exterior of cells and the enzymatic component will find its way to the cell interior (see for example Miyake and Ohishi, 1987 Reuner et al., 1987 Zepeda eta/., 1988). The approach is more problematic when cells are resistant to natural poisoning. In theory, resistance could be due to absence of cell surface receptors, absence of a mechanism for productive internalization, or absence of an intracellular substrate, but thus far only an absence of receptors (Fritz ef al., 1995) and an absence of substrate (Aktories et al., 1986) have been described. Cells without receptors can be rendered susceptible by using techniques that produce artificial internalization (e.g., permeabilizing the cell membrane or microinjection see Muller efal., 1992). Cells that do not have substrate are permanently resistant to poisoning. 

The Role of the Clostridium botulinum C2 Toxin as a Research Tool to Study Eucaryotic Cell Biology 121... 

There are no published studies in which C2 toxin has been used explicitly as a research tool. However, there are two ideas that are clear extensions of the literature and which could lead to exciting applications of the toxin. One pertains to the novel expression of receptors and selective tissue-targeting of drugs, and the other relates to identification and characterization of an endogenous class of cell receptors. 

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