Bungarotoxin
Bungarotoxins are a group of closely related neurotoxic proteins of the three-finger toxin superfamily found in the venom of kraits including Bungarus multicinctus.[1] α-Bungarotoxin inhibits the binding of acetylcholine (ACh) to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors[2]; β- and γ-bungarotoxins act presynaptically causing excessive acetylcholine release and subsequent depletion. Both α and β forms have been characterized, the α being similar to the long or Type II neurotoxins from other elapid venoms.
There are four types:
- α-Bungarotoxin
- β-Bungarotoxin (not a three-finger toxin)
- γ-Bungarotoxin (Q9YGJ0)
- k-Bungarotoxin
History
Banded krait venom began to be studied by Chuan-Chiung Chang and Chen-Yuan Lee of the National Taiwan University in the 1950s;[3] however, it was not until 1963 that its components were separated and isolated.[4]
References
- ^ Bungarotoxins at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
- ^ Samson, A. O., & Levitt, M. (2008). Inhibition mechanism of the acetylcholine receptor by α-neurotoxins as revealed by normal-mode dynamics. Biochemistry, 47(13), 4065-4070.
- ^ Chang C (1999). "Looking back on the discovery of alpha-bungarotoxin". J. Biomed. Sci. 6 (6): 368–75. doi:10.1159/000025412. PMID 10545772. S2CID 84443027.
- ^ Chu N (2005). "Contribution of a snake venom toxin to myasthenia gravis: the discovery of alpha-bungarotoxin in Taiwan" (PDF). Journal of the History of the Neurosciences. 14 (2): 138–48. doi:10.1080/096470490881770. PMID 16019658. S2CID 20028814.
 | This drug article relating to the nervous system is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This toxicology-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |