title: Two-component systems and toxinogenesis regulation in Clostridium botulinum.
abstract: Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most potent toxins ever known. They are mostly produced by Clostridium botulinum but also by other clostridia. BoNTs associate with non-toxic proteins (ANTPs) to form complexes of various sizes. Toxin production is highly regulated through complex networks of regulatory systems involving an alternative sigma factor, BotR, and at least 6 recently described two-component systems (TCSs). TCSs allow bacteria to sense environmental changes and to respond to various stimuli by regulating the expression of specific genes at a transcriptional level. Several environmental stimuli have been identified to positively or negatively regulate toxin synthesis; however, the link between environmental stimuli and TCSs is still elusive. This review aims to highlight the role of TCSs as a central point in the regulation of toxin production in C. botulinum.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Unité des Bactéries anaérobies et Toxines, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Chloé
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Connan
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Unité des Bactéries anaérobies et Toxines, Paris, France. Electronic address: mpopoff@pasteur.fr.
authors.forename: Michel R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Popoff
mesh_terms: D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D001905:Botulinum Toxins
keywords: Clostridium botulinum; Regulation; Toxin; Two-component systems