Where to Find a Good Botulinum Neurotoxin?

Motor Neuron Treated With Cholera Toxin ß-Subunit Conjugate.

A number of bacterial exotoxins and lipopolysaccharides have unique physiological activities that make them useful experimental tools. However, it is often difficult to find these reagents, especially highly purified preparations. List Biological Labs specifically addresses this niche. According to the president, Dr. Linda Shoer, List's core expertise is "making unique, highly purified bacterial proteins."

List is the only manufacturer and supplier for a number of bacterial exotoxins and lipopolysaccharides. These reagents interest researchers particularly in signal transduction, immunology, and neuroscience. Researchers looking at immunomodulators often make use of immunologically active lipopolysaccharides, which stimulate the release of cytokines from lymphocytes and macrophages. According to Debra Dye, List's business manager, the most popular products are the pertussis and cholera exotoxins and derivatives. These are valuable tools for researchers studying G-protein signal transduction pathways because they both interact with the adenylate cyclase regulatory subunit of...