Botulism Toxin Is Deciphered.(Brief Article)

The toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria are among the deadliest known to humankind. A drop ingested can paralyze the body, including the muscles responsible for breathing, leading to death by asphyxiation. In what could be a first step toward effectively disabling these deadly poisons, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory (300 Bell Ave., Upton, NY 11973; Tel: 515/444-2990) have determined the structure of botulinum neurotoxin B and learned how it binds to the nerve cells it attacks. To decipher the toxin's molecular structure, the scientists bombard crystalline samples with high- intensity x-rays at Brookhaven's National …