Structural basis of α-scorpion toxin action on Nav channels

Fast inactivation of voltage-gated sodium (Na-v) channels is essential for electrical signaling, but its mechanism remains poorly understood. Here we determined the structures of a eukaryotic Na-v channel alone and in complex with a lethal alpha-scorpion toxin, AaH2, by electron microscopy, both at 3.5-angstrom resolution. AaH2 wedges into voltage-sensing domain IV (VSD4) to impede fast activation by trapping a deactivated state in which gating charge interactions bridge to the acidic intracellular carboxyl-terminal domain. In the absence of AaH2, the S4 helix of VSD4 undergoes a similar to 13-angstrom translation to unlatch the intracellular fast-inactivation gating machinery. Highlighting the polypharmacology of alpha-scorpion toxins, AaH2 also targets an unanticipated receptor site on VSD1 and a pore glycan adjacent to VSD4. Overall, this work provides key insights into fast inactivation, electromechanical coupling, and pathogenic mutations in Na-v channels.