Abstract
Recently there has been considerable interest in the use of naturally occurring neurotoxins as probes for elucidating the molecular processes which underly chemical and electrical transmission in the nervous system. Of those neurotoxins which have been both chemically and pharmacologically characterized a large number occur in the venoms of poisonous snakes. According to Lee (7), snake toxins can be broadly classified into five groups: curaremimetic postsynaptic toxins, cardiotoxins, presynaptic neurotoxins, myonecrotic toxins and toxins affecting Na channels. As tools, the curaremimetic neurotoxins (e.g. α-bungarotoxin) have so far proved to be the most useful since they bind to nicotinic cholinoceptors with high specificity in a quasi-irreversible fashion. Pharmacological evidence suggests that toxins from the other groups exhibit a similar degree of specificity at least at the cellular level of organization. At the molecular level much less is known about the nature of the target sites to which these toxins are directed. The present chapter is concerned with studies aimed at a better understanding of the target sites for the presynaptic neurotoxin group.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Dolly, J.O., Tse, C.K., Spokes, J.W. and Diniz, C.R. (1978): Biochem. Soc. Trans. 6:652–654.
Dowdall, M.J. (1977): In Cholinergic Mechanisms and Psychopharmacology, (ed) D.J. Jenden, Plenum Press, New York, pp. 359–375.
Dowdall, M.J., Barrantes, F.W., Stender, W. and Jovin, T.M. (1976): J. Neurochem. 26:1253–1255.
Dowdall, M.J., Fohlman, J.P. and Eaker, D. (1977): Nature 269:700–702.
Dowdall, M.J., Fohlman, J.P. and Watts, A. (1979): In Advances in Cytopharmacology, Vol. 3: Neurotoxins: Tools in Neurobiology, (eds) B. Ceccarelli and F. Clementi, Raven Press, New York, pp. 63–76.
Fohlman, J., Eaker, D., Dowdall, M.J., Lullmann-Rauch, R. Sjodin, T. and Leanders, S. (1979): Eur. J. Biochem. 94: 531–540.
Lee, C.Y. (1979): In Advances in Cytopharmacology, Vol. 3: Neurotoxins: Tools in Neurobiology, (eds) B. Ceccarelli and F. Clementi, Raven Press, New York, pp. 1–16.
Meunier, F.M. and Morel, N. (1978): J. Neurochem. 31:845–851.
Morel, N., Israel, M., Manaranche, R. and Mastour-Frachon, F.(1977): J. Cell Biol. 75:43–55.
Ng, R.H. and Howard, B.D. (1978): Biochemistry 17:4978–4986.
Sen, I., Grantham, P.A. and Cooper, J.R. (1976): Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 73:2664–2668.
Smith, C.C.T., Bradford, R.F., Thompson, E.J. and MacDermot, J. (1980): J. Neurochem. 34:487–494
Zimmermann, H., Dowdall, M.J. and Lane, D.A. (1979): Neuroscience 4:979–993.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1981 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dowdall, M.J., Fretten, P. (1981). Inhibition of Membrane Transport Systems in Synaptosomes from Torpedo Electric Organ by Snake Neurotoxins. In: Pepeu, G., Ladinsky, H. (eds) Cholinergic Mechanisms. Advances in Behavioral Biology, vol 25. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8643-8_25
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-8643-8_25
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-8645-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-8643-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive