Abstract: This invention relates to a method of determining presence, amount and/or activity of a clostridial neurotoxin in a sample, the method comprising or consisting of the following steps: (a) bringing said sample into contact with a liposome, said liposome comprising (aa) at least one receptor on its outer surface, said receptor being capable of binding said neurotoxin and comprising or consisting of (i) a glycolipid and (ii) a peptide or protein; and (ab) a substrate in its interior, said substrate (i) being cleavable by the peptidase comprised in said neurotoxin and (ii) generating a detectable signal upon cleavage, said detectable signal preferably being generated by (1) the donor of a FRET pair, said donor exhibiting increased fluorescence upon cleavage by said peptidase, (2) a luminescent compound formed upon said cleavage, or (3) an enzyme formed upon said cleavage; and (b) determining whether an increase in signal occurs as compared to the absence of said sample, wherein such increase is indicative of the

Abstract: The invention relates to an isolated polypeptide of the luminal domain of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2C of Homo sapiens wherein at least 70 percent of the amino acid sequence is identical to the amino acid sequence of the SV2C of Homo sapiens. The polypeptide binds the HC fragment of botulinum neurotoxin A provided that the polypeptide is not the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2C of Homo sapiens.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transport protein which can be obtained by modifying the heavy chain of the neurotoxin formed by Clostridium botulinum. The protein binds specifically to nerve cells with a higher affinity as the native neurotoxin. The invention also relates to a method for the production of transport protein, the nucleic acids coding for the transport protein, the transport protein containing pharmaceutical and cosmetic compositions and use thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transport protein which can be obtained by modifying the heavy chain of the neurotoxin formed by Clostridium botulinum. The protein binds specifically to nerve cells with a higher affinity as the native neurotoxin. The invention also relates to a method for the production of transport protein, the nucleic acids coding for the transport protein, the transport protein containing pharmaceutical and cosmetic compositions and use thereof.