Montecucco C, Schiavo G, Tugnoli V, de Grandis D
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Padova, Via Triese 1-35100, Padova, Italy.
Mol Med Today. 1996 Oct;2(10):418-24. doi: 10.1016/1357-4310(96)84845-3.
Recent studies have led to the discovery of the molecular lesions in motor neurons caused by botulinum neurotoxins. These neurotoxins are metalloproteinases that enter the cytosol and very specifically cleave protein components of the neuroexocytosis apparatus. Consequently, acetylcholine cannot be released and the muscle is paralysed. For this reason, botulinum neurotoxins are increasingly being used to treat a variety of conditions where a functional paralysis of neuromuscular junctions is useful as therapy.
最近的研究发现了肉毒杆菌神经毒素对运动神经元造成的分子损伤。这些神经毒素是金属蛋白酶，它们进入细胞质并非常特异性地切割神经外排装置的蛋白质成分。因此，乙酰胆碱无法释放，肌肉发生麻痹。出于这个原因，肉毒杆菌神经毒素越来越多地被用于治疗各种疾病，在这些疾病中，神经肌肉接头的功能性麻痹作为一种治疗手段是有益的。
