Why is it botulin and not some chemical name?

Why is it botulin and not some chemical name?

It's botulin because it is a protein from Clostridium botulinum. Although it is not an unbreakable rule, a protein usually is given a name ending in "-in." Examples are insulin, actin, myosin. The protein is unique to C. botulinum so it is given a name that indicates the source (in this case the "botul-" part.) Other examples of this sort of name include heveins from Hevea brasiliensis (a rubber tree); clupeins from fish of the genus Clupea and the poisonous protein ricin from the castor bean Ricinus communis.

The toxin is also known as "botulinus toxin." This is not wrong, but is the sort of name that is usually associated with a crude preparation. Botulin refers to the purified protein.

Why no fancy chemical name like some of the other toxins?

Simply put, it would be too unwieldy. The protein is very large at 1,300 amino acids and the chemical name would go along with the size. Here is one form of the protein, the precursor form of the type A toxin, with the amino acids represented in the linear form in a one-letter code used by biochemists with the amino acids organized in groups of 10 to make it a bit clearer.

MQEVNKQFNY	KDPVNGVDIA	YIKIPNVGQM	QPVKAFKIHN	KIWVIPERDT
FTNPEEGDLN	PPPEAKQVPV	SYYDSTYLST	DNEKDNYLKG	VTKLFERIYS
TDLGRMLLTS	IVRGIPFWGG	STIDTELKVI	DTNCINVIQP	DGSYRSEELN
LVIIGPSADI	IQFECKSFGH	EVLNLTRNGY	GSTQYIRFSP	DFTFGFEESL
EVDTNPLLGA	GKFATDPAVT	LAHELIHAGH	RLYGIAINPN	RVFKVNTNAY
YEMSGLEVSF	EELRTFGGHD	AKFIDSLQEN	EFRLYYYNKF	KDIASTLNKA
KSIVGTTASL	QYMKNVFKEK	YLLSEDTSGK	FSVDKLKFDK	LYKMLTEIYT
EDNFVKFFKV	LNRKTYLNFD	KAVFKINIVP	KVNYTIYDGE	NLRNTNLAAN
FNGQNTEINN	MNFTKLKNFT	GLFEFYKLLV	VRGIITSKTK	SLDKGYNKAL
NDLQIKVNNW	DLFFSPSEDN	FTNDLNKGEE	ITSDTNIEAA	EENISLDLIQ
QYYLTFNFDN	EPENISIENL	SSDIIGQLEL	MPNIERFPNG	KKYELDKYTM
FHYLRAQEFE	HGKSRIALTN	SVNEALLNPS	RVYTFFSSDY	VKKVNKATEA
AMFLGWVEQL	VYDFTDETSE	VSTTDKIADI	TIIIPYIGPA	LNIGNMLYKD
DFVGALIFSG	AVILLEFIPE	IAIPVLGTFA	LVSYIANKVL	TVQTIDNALS
KNEKWDEVYK	YIVTNWLAKV	NTQIDLIRKK	MKEALENQAE	ATKIINYQYN
QYTEEEKNNI	NFNIDDLSSK	LNESINKAMI	NINKFLNQSV	SYLMNSMIYG
VKRLEDFDAS	LKDALLKYIY	DNRGTLIGQV	DRLKDKVNNT	LSTDIPFQLS
KYVDNQRLLS	TFTEYIKNII	NTSILNLRYE	SNHLIDLSRY	ASKINIGSKV
NFDPIDKNQI	QLFNLESSKE	EVILKNAIVY	NSMYENFSTS	FWIRIPKYFN
SISLNNEYTI	INCMENNSGW	KVSLNYGEII	WTLQDTQEIK	QRVVFKYSMQ
MINISDYINR	WIFVTITNNR	LNNSKIYING	RLIDQKPISN	LGNIHASNNI
MFKLDGCRDT	HRYIWIKYFN	LFDKELNEKE	IKDLYDNQSN	SGILKDFWGD
YLQYDKPYYM	LNLYDPNKYV	DVNNVGIRGY	MYLKGPRGSV	MTTNIYLNSS
LYRGTKFIIK	KYASGNKDNI	VRNNDRVYIN	VVVKNKEYRL	ATNASQAGVE
KILSALEIPD	VGNLSQVVVM	KSKNDQGITN	KCKMNLQDNN	GNDIGFIGFH
QFNNIAKLVA	SNWYNRQIER	SSRTLGCSWE	FIPVDDGWGE	RPL

This alone is a bit of a mouthful. When we replace the one letter code with the full names of the amino acids, it gets even worse. Even the form shown below is a shortened version that makes use of some conventions to keep it simple. hence, the use of "botulin" or "botulinus toxin."

Methionylglutaminylglutamylvalylasparaginyllysylglutaminylphenylalanylasparaginyl-tyrosyllysylaspartylprolylvalylasparaginylglycylvalylaspartylisoleucylalanyltyrosyl-
isoleucyllysylisoleucylprolylasparaginylvalylglycylglutaminylmethionylglutaminyl-
prolylvalyllysylalanylphenylalanyllysylisoleucylhistidylasparaginyllysylisoleucyl-
tryptophanylvalylisoleucylprolylglutamylargininylaspartylthreonylphenylalanyl-
threonylasparaginylprolylglutamylglutamylglycylaspartylleucylasparaginylprolyl-
prolylprolylglutamylalanyllysylglutaminylvalylprolylvalylseryltyrosyltyrosyl-
aspartylserylthreonyltyrosylleucylserylthreonylaspartylasparaginylglutamyllysyl-
aspartylasparaginyltyrosylleucyllysylglycylvalylthreonyllysylleucylphenylalanyl-
glutamylargininylisoleucyltyrosylserylthreonylaspartylleucylglycylargininyl-
methionylleucylleucylthreonylserylisoleucylvalylargininylglycylisoleucylprolyl-
phenylalanyltryptophanylglycylglycylserylthreonylisoleucylaspartylthreonylglutamyl-
leucyllysylvalylisoleucylaspartylthreonylasparaginylcysteinylisoleucylasparaginyl-
valylisoleucylglutaminylprolylaspartylglycylseryltyrosylargininylserylglutamyl-
glutamylleucylasparaginylleucylvalylisoleucylisoleucylglycylprolylserylalanyl-
aspartylisoleucylisoleucylglutaminylphenylalanylglutamylcysteinyllysylseryl-
phenylalanylglycylhistidylglutamylvalylleucylasparaginylleucylthreonylargininyl-
asparaginylglycyltyrosylglycylserylthreonylglutaminyltyrosylisoleucylargininyl-
phenylalanylserylprolylaspartylphenylalanylthreonylphenylalanylglycylphenylalanyl-
glutamylglutamylserylleucylglutamylvalylaspartylthreonylasparaginylprolylleucyl-
leucylglycylalanylglycyllysylphenylalanylalanylthreonylaspartylprolylalanylvalyl-
threonylleucylalanylhistidylglutamylleucylisoleucylhistidylalanylglycylhistidyl-
argininylleucyltyrosylglycylisoleucylalanylisoleucylasparaginylprolylasparaginyl-
argininylvalylphenylalanyllysylvalylasparaginylthreonylasparaginylalanyltyrosyl-
tyrosylglutamylmethionylserylglycylleucylglutamylvalylserylphenylalanylglutamyl-
glutamylleucylargininylthreonylphenylalanylglycylglycylhistidylaspartylalanyllysyl-
phenylalanylisoleucylaspartylserylleucylglutaminylglutamylasparaginylglutamyl-
phenylalanylargininylleucyltyrosyltyrosyltyrosylasparaginyllysylphenylalanyl-
lysylaspartylisoleucylalanylserylthreonylleucylasparaginyllysylalanylysylseryl-
isoleucylvalylglycylthreonylthreonylalanylserylleucylglutaminyltyrosylmethionyl-
lysylasparaginylvalylphenylalanyllysylglutamyllysyltyrosylleucylleucylserylglutamyl-
aspartylthreonylserylglycyllysylphenylalanylserylvalylaspartyllysylleucyllysyl-
phenylalanylaspartyllysylleucyltyrosyllysylmethionylleucylthreonylglutamylisoleucyl-
tyrosylthreonylglutamylaspartylasparaginylphenylalanylvalyllysylphenylalanyl-
phenylalanyllysylvalylleucylasparaginylargininyllysylthreonyltyrosylleucyl-
asparaginylphenylalanylaspartyllysylalanylvalylphenylalanyllysylisoleucyl-
asparaginylisoleucylvalylprolyllysylvalylasparaginyltyrosylthreonylisoleucyltyrosyl-
aspartylglycylglutamylasparaginylleucylargininylasparaginylthreonylasparaginyl-
leucylalanylalanylasparaginylphenylalanylasparaginylglycylglutaminylasparaginyl-
threonylglutamylisoleucylasparaginylasparaginylmethionylasparaginylphenylalanyl-
threonyllysylleucyllysylasparaginylphenylalanylthreonylglycylleucylphenylalanyl-
glutamylphenylalanyltyrosyllysylleucylleucylvalylvalylargininylglycylisoleucyl-
isoleucylthreonylseryllysylthreonyllysylserylleucylaspartyllysylglycyltyrosyl-
asparaginyllysylalanylleucylasparaginylaspartylleucylglutaminylisoleucyllysylvalyl-
asparaginylasparaginyltryptophanylaspartylleucylphenylalanylphenylalanylserylprolyl-
serylglutamylaspartylasparaginylphenylalanylthreonylasparaginylaspartylleucyl-
asparaginyllysylglycylglutamylglutamylisoleucylthreonylserylaspartylthreonyl-
asparaginylisoleucylglutamylalanylalanylglutamylglutamylasparaginylisoleucylseryl-
leucylaspartylleucylisoleucylglutaminylglutaminyltyrosyltyrosylleucylthreonyl-
phenylalanylasparaginylphenylalanylaspartylasparaginylglutamylprolylglutamyl-
asparaginylisoleucylserylisoleucylglutamylasparaginylleucylserylserylaspartyl-
isoleucylisoleucylglycylglutaminylleucylglutamylleucylmethionylprolylasparaginyl-
isoleucylglutamylargininylphenylalanylprolylasparaginylglycyllysyllysyltyrosyl-
glutamylleucylaspartyllysyltyrosylthreonylmethionylphenylalanylhistidyltyrosyl-
leucylargininylalanylglutaminylglutamylphenylalanylglutamylhistidylglycyllysyl-
serylargininylisoleucylalanylleucylthreonylasparaginylserylvalylasparaginyl-
glutamylalanylleucylleucylasparaginylprolylserylargininylvalyltyrosylthreonyl-
phenylalanylphenylalanylserylserylaspartyltyrosylvalyllysyllysylvalylasparaginyl-
lysylalanylthreonylglutamylalanylalanylmethionylphenylalanylleucylglycyl-
tryptophanylvalylglutamylglutaminylleucylvalyltyrosylaspartylphenylalanylthreonyl-
aspartylglutamylthreonylserylglutamylvalylserylthreonylthreonylaspartyllysyl-
isoleucylalanylaspartylisoleucylthreonylisoleucylisoleucylisoleucylprolyltyrosyl-
isoleucylglycylprolylalanylleucylasparaginylisoleucylglycylasparaginylmethionyl-
leucyltyrosyllysylaspartylaspartylphenylalanylvalylglycylalanylleucylisoleucyl-
phenylalanylserylglycylalanylvalylisoleucylleucylleucylglutamylphenylalanyl-
isoleucylprolylglutamylisoleucylalanylisoleucylprolylvalylleucylglycylthreonyl-
phenylalanylalanylleucylvalylseryltyrosylisoleucylalanylasparaginyllysylvalyl-
leucylthreonylvalylglutaminylthreonylisoleucylaspartylasparaginylalanylleucylseryl-
lysylasparaginylglutamyllysyltryptophanylaspartylglutamylvalyltyrosyllysyltyrosyl-
isoleucylvalylthreonylasparaginyltryptophanylleucylalanyllysylvalylasparaginyl-
threonylglutaminylisoleucylaspartylleucylisoleucylargininyllysyllysylmethionyl-
lysylglutamylalanylleucylglutamylasparaginylglutaminylalanylglutamylalanylthreonyl-
lysylisoleucylisoleucylasparaginyltyrosylglutaminyltyrosylasparaginylglutaminyl-
tyrosylthreonylglutamylglutamylglutamyllysylasparaginylasparaginylisoleucyl-
asparaginylphenylalanylasparaginylisoleucylaspartylaspartylleucylserylseryllysyl-
leucylasparaginylglutamylserylisoleucylasparaginyllysylalanylmethionylisoleucyl-
asparaginylisoleucylasparaginyllysylphenylalanylleucylasparaginylglutaminylseryl-
valylseryltyrosylleucylmethionylasparaginylserylmethionylisoleucyltyrosylglycyl-
valyllysylargininylleucylglutamylaspartylphenylalanylaspartylalanylseryl-
leucyllysylaspartylalanylleucylleucyllysyltyrosylisoleucyltyrosyl-
aspartylasparaginylargininylglycylthreonylleucylisoleucylglycylglutaminylvalyl-
aspartylargininylleucyllysylaspartyllysylvalylasparaginylasparaginylthreonyl-
leucylserylthreonylaspartylisoleucylprolylphenylalanylglutaminylleucylseryl-
lysyltyrosylvalylaspartylasparaginylglutaminylargininylleucylleucylseryl-
threonylphenylalanylthreonylglutamyltyrosylisoleucyllysylasparaginylisoleucyl-
isoleucylasparaginylthreonylserylisoleucylleucylasparaginylleucylargininyltyrosyl-
glutamylserylasparaginylhistidylleucylisoleucylaspartylleucylserylargininyltyrosyl-
alanylseryllysylisoleucylasparaginylisoleucylglycylseryllysylvalylasparaginyl-
phenylalanylaspartylprolylisoleucylaspartyllysylasparaginylglutaminylisoleucyl-
glutaminylleucylphenylalanylasparaginylleucylglutamylserylseryllysylglutamyl-
glutamylvalylisoleucylleucyllysylasparaginylalanylisoleucylvalyltyrosyl-
asparaginylserylmethionyltyrosylglutamylasparaginylphenylalanylserylthreonylseryl-
phenylalanyltryptophanylisoleucylargininylisoleucylprolyllysyltyrosylphenylalanyl-
asparaginylserylisoleucylserylleucylasparaginylasparaginylglutamyltyrosylthreonyl-
isoleucylisoleucylasparaginylcysteinylmethionylglutamylasparaginylasparaginylseryl-
glycyltryptophanyllysylvalylserylleucylasparaginyltyrosylglycylglutamylisoleucyl-
isoleucyltryptophanylthreonylleucylglutaminylaspartylthreonylglutaminylglutamyl-
isoleucyllysylglutaminylargininylvalylvalylphenylalanyllysyltyrosylserylmethionyl-
glutaminylmethionylisoleucylasparaginylisoleucylserylaspartyltyrosylisoleucyl-
asparaginylargininyltryptophanylisoleucylphenylalanylvalylthreonylisoleucylthreonyl-
asparaginylasparaginylargininylleucylasparaginylasparaginylseryllysylisoleucyl-
tyrosylisoleucylasparaginylglycylargininylleucylisoleucylaspartylglutaminyllysyl-
prolylisoleucylserylasparaginylleucylglycylasparaginylisoleucylhistidylalanylseryl-
asparaginylasparaginylisoleucylmethionylphenylalanyllysylleucylaspartylglycyl-
cysteinylargininylaspartylthreonylhistidylargininyltyrosylisoleucyltryptophanyl-
isoleucyllysyltyrosylphenylalanylasparaginylleucylphenylalanylaspartyllysyl-
glutamylleucylasparaginylglutamyllysylglutamylisoleucyllysylaspartylleucyltyrosyl-
aspartylasparaginylglutaminylserylasparaginylserylglycylisoleucylleucyllysyl-
aspartylphenylalanyltryptophanylglycylaspartyltyrosylleucylglutaminyltyrosyl-
aspartyllysylprolyltyrosyltyrosylmethionylleucylasparaginylleucyltyrosylaspartyl-
prolylasparaginyllysyltyrosylvalylaspartylvalylasparaginylasparaginylvalylglycyl-
isoleucylargininylglycyltyrosylmethionyltyrosylleucyllysylglycylprolylargininyl-
glycylserylvalylmethionylthreonylthreonylasparaginylisoleucyltyrosylleucyl-
asparaginylserylserylleucyltyrosylargininylglycylthreonyllysylphenylalanyl-
isoleucylisoleucyllysyllysyltyrosylalanylserylglycylasparaginyllysylaspartyl-
asparaginylisoleucylvalylargininylasparaginylasparaginylaspartylargininylvalyl-
tyrosylisoleucylasparaginylvalylvalylvalyllysylasparaginyllysylglutamyltyrosyl-
argininylleucylalanylthreonylasparaginylalanylserylglutaminylalanylglycylvalyl-
glutamyllysylisoleucylleucylserylalanylleucylglutamylisoleucylprolylaspartyl-
valylglycylasparaginylleucylserylglutaminylvalylvalylvalylmethionyl-
lysylseryllysylasparaginylaspartylglutaminylglycylisoleucylthreonylasparaginyl-
lysylcysteinyllysylmethionylasparaginylleucylglutaminylaspartylasparaginyl-
asparaginylglycylasparaginylaspartylisoleucylglycylphenylalanylisoleucylglycyl-
phenylalanylhistidylglutaminylphenylalanylasparaginylasparaginylisoleucylalanyl-
lysylleucylvalylalanylserylasparaginyltryptophanyltyrosylasparaginylargininyl-
glutaminylisoleucylglutamylargininylserylserylargininylthreonylleucylglycyl-
cysteinylseryltryptophanylglutamylphenylalanylisoleucylprolylvalylaspartylaspartyl-
glycyltryptophanylglycylglutamylargininylprolylleucine

One letter code for amino acids
Letter	Amino acid	Amino acid radical
A	Alanine	alanyl
C	Cysteine	cysteinyl
D	Aspartic acid	aspartyl
E	Glutamic acid	glutamyl
F	Phenylalanine	phenylalanyl
G	Glycine	glycyl
H	Histidine	histidyl
I	Isoleucine	isoleucyl
K	Lysine	lysyl
L	Leucine	leucyl
M	Methionine	methionyl
N	Asparagine	asparaginyl
P	Proline	prolyl
Q	Glutamine	glutaminyl
R	Arginine	arginyl
S	Serine	seryl
T	Threonine	threonyl
V	Valine	valyl
W	Tryptophan	tryptophanyl
Y	Tyrosine	tyrosyl

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