Phenotypic effect of botulinum toxin A on Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Botulinum toxins (BoTXs) are potent inhibitors of neurotransmission mediated by exocytosis, cleaving synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) to cause paralysis and death in human. Among them, botulinum toxin type A (BoTX/A) is both clinically and cosmetically important because of its wide application in clinical and cosmetic treatment. Therefore, development of feasible and effective model-base assay system might be very helpful to understand the effect of the toxin. In this study, we have examined the physiological effect of BoTX/A on Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living soil nematode model system. Worms treated with BoTX/A showed defective egg-laying, yolk protein consumption, and locomotion while they were normal in developmental process. Worms' susceptibility to BoTX/A suggests potential utility for the assay of BoTX/A.