Question

Describe the effect of the botulinum toxin, which inhibits the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. Would the poison curare, which competes for acetylcholine receptors (by attaching to the acetycholine receptors and preventing acetylcholine from binding) have similar effects? Explain.

Answer 1

The botulinum toxin is released from the Clostridium botulinum. This toxin is binds with the axons endings of the neurones by getting entry into the Nerve cells. This binding causes the inhibition in the the release of of acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter. This toxin attacks at the neuromuscular junction. Due to binding and blocking of the axons of the Nerve cells causes paralytic conditions. This can be more severe when this paralysis occurs in cardiac Nerve cells and respiratory tract Nerve cells.

Due to binding of axons with this toxin blocks the the transmission of signals or slows down the signalling through the nerve cells. This is called flaccid paralysis and the disease is called botulism.

Curare has tubocurarine as the active principle compound. The poison curare attacks on the neuromuscular junction and binds to the specific types of the acetylcholine neurotransmitter. The difference is is the curare binds to the receptors off the acetylcholine while the botulinum toxin binds to the axons of the pre nerve cell at the junction. Both the curare and the the botulinum inhibits the transmission of of signals acetylcholine neurotransmitter but their mode of action is slightly different. Both causes flaccid paralysis by attacking on the the neuromuscular junction and blocking the the activity of acetylcholine.