Journal
TOXICON
Volume 53, Issue 3, Pages 375-382Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2008.12.015
Keywords
Micrurus pyrrhocryptus; Micrurus venom; Snake toxins; Acetylcholine receptor-neurotoxin interaction; Neurotoxins
Categories
Funding
- Universidad de Buenos Aires
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas de la Republica Argentina
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Snake venom toxicity is the consequence of a combination of peptides and proteins whose identification and characterization are of great importance to understand envenomation and develop new clinical treatments. The Elapinae subfamily includes coral snakes whose bite causes mainly neurotoxic effects which disable muscle contraction and paralyse the heart as well as inhibit respiration. However, the structure-function relationship of venom toxins has been investigated only for a few species. We herein study biological aspects of the Micrurus pyrrhocryptus venom such as LD50, hemorrhagic. necrotic, coagulant, myotoxic and hemolytic activity as well as the ability of venom components to compete with alpha-Bungarotoxin for the ligand-binding site of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Besides, we report the determination of the molecular mass and N-terminal sequence of toxins including PLA2s, short, long and weak neurotoxins. The complete sequence of one of the short neurotoxins has also been obtained, this being the first sequence of an alpha-neurotoxin determined in the M. pyrrhocryptus venom and one of the few fully determined in members of the Micrurus genus. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available