{
  "abstract": "Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are potent bacterial toxins. Distinct BoNT-like toxins, including BoNT/X, BoNT/En, and PMP1, form a distinct lineage. Here we characterize two additional members of this group, PG-toxin 1 and 2 (PG1 and PG2). Their light-chain (LC) and heavy-chain (HC) domains are encoded by adjacent genes. PG1 and PG2 LCs cleave Drosophila SNAP-25 at distinct sites (N196-E197 and R191-K193, respectively); PG1 is more potent, while PG2 activity depends on pH and ionic strength. Both LCs enter Sf9 cells via clathrin-mediated endocytosis. PG1 LC is toxic to Drosophila and northern armyworm independently of its HC, whereas PG2 LC toxicity is enhanced by its HC. Cryo-EM shows that PG1 adopts a distinct compact di-chain architecture with a door-hinge-like \"belt.\" These findings expand the structural and functional diversity of the BoNT family and support the potential of PG-toxins as insecticidal agents and research tools.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute of Future Agriculture, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.",
    "Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.",
    "Clinical Medicine Research Center for Minimally Invasive Procedure of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases of Hubei Province, Hubei, China.",
    "Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.",
    "Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.",
    "School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.",
    "Shaanxi Province Center for Bio-Pesticide Engineering, Yangling, 712100, China.",
    "Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. pengch@whu.edu.cn.",
    "Clinical Medicine Research Center for Minimally Invasive Procedure of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases of Hubei Province, Hubei, China. pengch@whu.edu.cn.",
    "Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Ministry of Education and School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. pengch@whu.edu.cn.",
    "Institute of Future Agriculture, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. sicai.zhang@nwafu.edu.cn."
  ],
  "article_type": "research support, non u.s. gov't",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 13,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "JinBo Yang",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-5609-3416"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Zheng Liu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6842-6273"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Linlin Jiang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiaoyan Ye"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Yuwen Chao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Jing Ren"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xiaofeng Zhu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shaoyu Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Xinyuan Guo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Ji Zeng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Hua Wu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7,
        8,
        9
      ],
      "name": "Peng Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6356-7683"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Sicai Zhang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8894-5476"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0dxkcqz9g69wa.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41467-026-77991-2",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13687064",
  "id": "0dxkcqz9g69wa",
  "issns": [
    "2041-1723"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42907452",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2728|Botulinum Toxin and Related Neurological Disorders"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214018836",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13687064?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13687064",
  "pmid": "42907452",
  "published": "2026-09-22",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0dxkcqz9g69wa.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:57Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42907452",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42907452"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2728|Botulinum Toxin and Related Neurological Disorders",
      "subfield": "neurology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Structure and functional divergence of the non-canonical BoNT-like toxin PG1 and PG2.",
  "title_text": "Structure and functional divergence of the non-canonical BoNT-like toxin PG1 and PG2.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:57Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0dxkcqz9g69wa",
  "venue": "Nature communications",
  "versions": []
}