saxiphilin left that has a binding pocket into which the neurotoxin right fits tightly decreasing its availability to bind an alternative target with lethal effects Publication about this research TJ Yen M ID: 1009834
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1. The molecular sponge is a protein, saxiphilin (left), that has a binding pocket into which the neurotoxin (right) fits tightly, decreasing its availability to bind an alternative target with lethal effects.Publication about this research: T.-J. Yen, M. Lolicato, R. Thomas-Tran, J. Du Bois, D. L. Minor Jr., Sci. Adv. 5, 6 (2019). Work was performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ALS Beamline 8.3.1. Operation of the ALS is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences program.A Bullfrog’s Powerful Defense Against Toxic Red TidesScientific AchievementResearchers determined how a protein found in bullfrogs protects them from a dangerous neurotoxin produced by the algae that cause red tides.Significance and ImpactUnderstanding how this “molecular sponge” sequesters the neurotoxin could enable better sensors for monitoring our environment and food supply.Research DetailsProtein crystallography revealed that the bullfrog protein has a pocket similar to the neurotoxin’s other target, which causes paralysis in humans.The neurotoxin binds tightly to the pocket via complementary charge-based interactions.