Fragment C of Tetanus Toxin : New Insights into Its Neuronal Signaling Pathway
Calvo, Ana Cristina (Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria)
Oliván, Sara (Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria)
Manzano Martínez, Raquel (Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria)
Zaragoza, Pilar (Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria)
Aguilera, José (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Bioquímica i de Biologia Molecular)
Osta, Rosario (Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Veterinaria)

Date:	2012
Abstract:	When Clostridium tetani was discovered and identified as a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium of the genus Clostridium, the possibility of turning its toxin into a valuable biological carrier to ameliorate neurodegenerative processes was inconceivable. However, the non-toxic carboxy-terminal fragment of the tetanus toxin heavy chain (fragment C) can be retrogradely transported to the central nervous system; therefore, fragment C has been used as a valuable biological carrier of neurotrophic factors to ameliorate neurodegenerative processes. More recently, the neuroprotective properties of fragment C have also been described in vitro and in vivo, involving the activation of Akt kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling cascades through neurotrophin tyrosine kinase (Trk) receptors. Although the precise mechanism of the molecular internalization of fragment C in neuronal cells remains unknown, fragment C could be internalized and translocated into the neuronal cytosol through a clathrin-mediated pathway dependent on proteins, such as dynamin and AP-2. In this review, the origins, molecular properties and possible signaling pathways of fragment C are reviewed to understand the biochemical characteristics of its intracellular and synaptic transport.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Clathrin-mediated pathway ; Dynamin ; Fragment C ; Tetanus toxin ; Neurotrophin ; Trk receptors
Published in:	International journal of molecular sciences, Vol. 13 (2012) , p. 6883-6901, ISSN 1422-0067

DOI: 10.3390/ijms13066883
PMID: 22837670

19 p, 3.9 MB

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