{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T18:38:38Z","timestamp":1768588718637,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,14]],"date-time":"2026-01-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768348800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001602","name":"Science Foundation Ireland","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["09\/IN.1\/B2634"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["09\/IN.1\/B2634"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001602","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Toxins"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Plasticity is fundamental to the development, strengthening, and maintenance of healthy synaptic connections and recovery from injury in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Yet, the processes involved are poorly understood. Herein, using a combination of patch-clamp electrophysiology and immuno-fluorescence confocal microscopy in adult mice, it is shown that blockade of synaptic transmission at submandibular ganglion junctions exposed to botulinum neurotoxin type A was accompanied by a rapid and striking decline in the abundance of synaptic vesicle markers\u2014SV2, vesicle-associated membrane protein 2, and vesicular acetylcholine transporter\u2014plus SNAP-25 (cleaved and intact) and postsynaptic \u03b17 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Such alterations by the neurotoxin of parasympathetic synapses contrast starkly with the stability of postsynaptic proteins at nearby skeletal neuromuscular junctions. Both neurotransmission and the expression of SV2 and \u03b17 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors remained depressed for 4 weeks, with full recovery of synaptic function delayed for more than 8 weeks. These novel findings may explain the relatively slow recovery of autonomic function after botulism or following therapeutic injections to alleviate hypersecretory disorders.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/toxins18010043","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,15]],"date-time":"2026-01-15T08:26:36Z","timestamp":1768465596000},"page":"43","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Presynaptic Terminal Proteins and Nicotinic Receptors Are Depleted from Mouse Parasympathetic Ganglionic Junctions Paralysed with Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1957-7569","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed","family":"Al-Sabi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, D09 K20V Dublin, Ireland"},{"name":"College of Integrative Studies, Abdullah Al Salem University, Khaldiya 72303, Kuwait"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5206-7763","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gary W.","family":"Lawrence","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, D09 K20V Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.1113\/jphysiol.1980.sp013410","article-title":"Nodal and terminal sprouting from motor nerves in fast and slow muscles of the mouse","volume":"306","author":"Brown","year":"1980","journal-title":"J. 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