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PMID: 2464066 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Review

An emerging pharmacology of peptide toxins targeted against potassium channels.

The Journal of membrane biology ·Vol. 105 ·No. 2 ·1988-10-00 ·Pages 95-111

Moczydlowski E, Lucchesi K, Ravindran A

Abstract

Voltage-dependent ion channels are a difficult class of proteins to approach biochemically. Many such channels are present at low density in relevant tissues and exist as multiple subtypes that can be distinguished electrophysiologically. In particular, K channels appear to be a diverse family of proteins characterized by many different conductance properties, gating behaviors and regulatory phenomena. Fortunately, specific peptide toxins for K channels are present in the venoms of insects, scorpions, snakes and possibly other species. The available sequences of these peptides define several different families of toxins. Electrophysiological and radioligand binding studies suggest that these toxins can be used to distinguish subclasses of K channels that share similar toxin binding sites. The growing databank of sequence homologies for both toxins and channels is, in essence, a codebook for identifying common elements of structure and function. The continuing development of toxins as biochemical probes should help to uncover the molecular basis and physiological significance of K-channel diversity.

MeSH Terms
Animals Apamin/pharmacology Bee Venoms/pharmacology Charybdotoxin Elapid Venoms/pharmacology Humans Mollusk Venoms/pharmacology Potassium Channels/drug effects,physiology Scorpion Venoms/pharmacology Toxins, Biological/pharmacology
Chemicals
Bee Venoms Elapid Venoms Mollusk Venoms Potassium Channels Scorpion Venoms Toxins, Biological Charybdotoxin Apamin dendrotoxin noxiustoxin
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Moczydlowski E
Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
Lucchesi K
Ravindran A
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Article Info
Journal
The Journal of membrane biology
Abbr.
J Membr Biol
ISSN
0022-2631
DOI
10.1007/BF02009164
Published
1988-10-00
Pages
95-111
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0211301
Subset
IM
Grants
NHLBI NIH HHS · HL38156 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/BF02009164 View journal details
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