Amino acid sequence of toxin F, a snake venom toxin that blocks neuronal nicotinic receptors

Brain Res. 1986 Oct 15;385(1):30-7. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(86)91543-x.

Abstract

The amino acid sequence was determined for toxin F, a component of Bungarus multicinctus venom that blocks nicotinic transmission in the chick ciliary ganglion and the rat superior cervical ganglion. Toxin F was purified by a procedure that includes preparative isoelectric focusing and ion exchange chromatography. Seventy nanomolar toxin F blocks nicotinic transmission in the chick ciliary ganglion; however, the toxin only weakly blocks the binding of 125I-alpha-bungarotoxin to membranes derived from Torpedo californica electroplax (IC50 = 1 microM). These data raise the possibility that toxin F may preferentially recognize neuronal nicotinic receptors. Toxin F focused identically on an isoelectric focusing gel with samples of two similar toxins, bungarotoxin 3.1 and kappa-bungarotoxin. The sequence of toxin F is identical with that recently reported for kappa-bungarotoxin. When the N-terminal portion of bungarotoxin 3.1 was sequenced, it was found to be identical to the other two toxins. These and other data suggest that the 3 toxins are, in fact, the same.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Chickens
  • Electric Organ / metabolism
  • Ganglia, Parasympathetic / drug effects
  • Isoelectric Focusing
  • Neurotoxins* / isolation & purification
  • Neurotoxins* / pharmacology
  • Receptors, Nicotinic / drug effects*
  • Reptilian Proteins
  • Snake Venoms* / isolation & purification
  • Snake Venoms* / pharmacology
  • Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
  • Torpedo

Substances

  • Neurotoxins
  • Receptors, Nicotinic
  • Reptilian Proteins
  • Snake Venoms
  • snake venom neurotoxin F