Inhibition of the contraction of the isolated longitudinal muscle of the guinea-pig ileum by botulinum C2 toxin: Evidence for a role of G/F-actin transition in smooth muscle contraction

Summary The effect of botulinum C2 toxin was studied on the contractions of the guinea pig ileum myenteric plexus longitudinal muscle preparation. Botulinum C2 toxin inhibited the muscle contraction induced by electrical stimulation (60 V; 0.5 ms; 0.33 Hz) in a time and concentration dependent manner. The inhibitory effect occurred with a time lag of about 1 h, and depended on the presence of both toxin components. After 4 h of incubation with 1.7 µg/ml of component I and 6.7 µ/ml of component II of botulinum C2 toxin, the smooth muscle contraction was inhibited by about 60%. At these toxin concentrations, about 55% of the modifiable smooth muscle actin was ADP-ribosylated. Smooth muscle contraction induced by bradykinin and bethanechol were similarly inhibited. Moreover, the C2 toxin inhibited muscle contraction induced by Bat²⁺, and by direct muscle membrane depolarization (60 V; 10 ms; 0.33 Hz) after suppression of acetylcholine release by normorphine. Also cytochalasin D inhibited the electrically evoked contraction of the ileum longitudinal muscle. In contrast to botulinum C2 toxin, inhibition of contractility by cytochalasin D occurred without a lag phase, and was reversed by washing off the toxin. In contrast of guinea pig ileum longitudinal muscle, botulinum C2 toxin did not reduce the contraction of the rabbit aortic smooth muscle stimulated by K⁺-depolarization or noradrenaline. Send offprint requests to K. Aktories at the above address