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Biochemistry of snake venom neurotoxins and their application to the study of synapse. [Neurotoxins isolated from venom of the Formosan banded krait]

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6328339· OSTI ID:6328339
The crude venom of the Formosan banded krait, Bungarus multicinctus, was separated into eleven lethal protein fractions. Nine fractions were purified to final homogeneous toxins, designated ..cap alpha..-bungarotoxin, ..beta..-bungarotoxin, and toxins 7, 8, 9A, 11, 12, 13, and 14. Three of the toxins, ..cap alpha..-bungarotoxin, 7, and 8, were identified as post-synaptic curarimimetic neurotoxins. The remaining toxins were identified as pre-synaptic neurotoxins. ..cap alpha..-Bungarotoxin, toxin 7, and toxin 8 are all highly stable basic polypeptides of approx. 8000 daltons molecular weight. The pre-synaptic toxins fell into two structural groups: toxin 9A and 14 which were single basic chains of approx. 14,000 daltons, and ..beta..-bungarotoxin, and toxins 11 thru 13 which were composed of two chains of approx. 8000 and approx. 13,000 daltons covalently linked by disulfides. All the pre-synaptic neurotoxins were shown to have intrinsic calcium-dependent phospholipase A activities. Under certain conditions, intact synaptic membranes were hydrolyzed more rapidly than protein-free extracted synaptic-lipid liposomes which, in turn, were hydrolyzed more rapidly than any other tested liposomes. It was speculated that cell-surface arrays of phosphatidyl serine/glycolipids created high affinity target sites for ..beta..-bungarotoxin. Single-chain toxins were found to be qualitatively different from the two-chain toxins in their ability to block the functioning of acetylcholine receptors, and were quantitatively different in their enzymatic and membrane disruptive activities. ..beta..-Bungarotoxin was shown to be an extremely potent neuronal lesioning agent. There was no apparent selectivity for cholinergic over non-cholinergic neurons, nor for nerve terminals over cell bodies. It was suggested that ..beta..-bungarotoxin can be considered a useful new histological tool, which may exhibit some regional selectivity.
Research Organization:
California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Lawrence Berkeley Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
6328339
Report Number(s):
LBL-8422
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
550301 -- Cytology-- Tracer Techniques
551001 -- Physiological Systems-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
ANTIGENS
BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL MEMBRANES
CHEMISTRY
DATA
DATA FORMS
DISEASES
ENZYME ACTIVITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HISTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
INFORMATION
ISOLATED VALUES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
MEMBRANES
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
NERVE CELLS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUMERICAL DATA
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PHYSIOLOGY
RECEPTORS
REPTILES
SNAKES
SOMATIC CELLS
TOXIC MATERIALS
TOXICITY
TOXINS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VENOMS
VERTEBRATES