Structural highlights
Function
[NXL1A_BUNMU] Binds with high affinity to muscular and neuronal (alpha-7, alpha-8, and alpha-9) nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Produces peripheral paralysis by blocking neuromuscular transmission at the postsynaptic site. Blocks the extracellular increase of dopamine evoked by nicotine only at the higher dose (4.2 uM).[1] [2] [ACHA_TORMA] After binding acetylcholine, the AChR responds by an extensive change in conformation that affects all subunits and leads to opening of an ion-conducting channel across the plasma membrane.
Evolutionary Conservation
Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf.
Publication Abstract from PubMed
The structure of a peptide corresponding to residues 182-202 of the acetylcholine receptor alpha1 subunit in complex with alpha-bungarotoxin was solved using NMR spectroscopy. The peptide contains the complete sequence of the major determinant of AChR involved in alpha-bungarotoxin binding. One face of the long beta hairpin formed by the AChR peptide consists of exposed nonconserved residues, which interact extensively with the toxin. Mutations of these receptor residues confer resistance to the toxin. Conserved AChR residues form the opposite face of the beta hairpin, which creates the inner and partially hidden pocket for acetylcholine. An NMR-derived model for the receptor complex with two alpha-bungarotoxin molecules shows that this pocket is occupied by the conserved alpha-neurotoxin residue R36, which forms cation-pi interactions with both alphaW149 and gammaW55/deltaW57 of the receptor and mimics acetylcholine.
The mechanism for acetylcholine receptor inhibition by alpha-neurotoxins and species-specific resistance to alpha-bungarotoxin revealed by NMR.,Samson A, Scherf T, Eisenstein M, Chill J, Anglister J Neuron. 2002 Jul 18;35(2):319-32. PMID:12160749[3]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
See Also
References
- ↑ Servent D, Winckler-Dietrich V, Hu HY, Kessler P, Drevet P, Bertrand D, Menez A. Only snake curaremimetic toxins with a fifth disulfide bond have high affinity for the neuronal alpha7 nicotinic receptor. J Biol Chem. 1997 Sep 26;272(39):24279-86. PMID:9305882
- ↑ Dajas-Bailador F, Costa G, Dajas F, Emmett S. Effects of alpha-erabutoxin, alpha-bungarotoxin, alpha-cobratoxin and fasciculin on the nicotine-evoked release of dopamine in the rat striatum in vivo. Neurochem Int. 1998 Oct;33(4):307-12. PMID:9840221
- ↑ Samson A, Scherf T, Eisenstein M, Chill J, Anglister J. The mechanism for acetylcholine receptor inhibition by alpha-neurotoxins and species-specific resistance to alpha-bungarotoxin revealed by NMR. Neuron. 2002 Jul 18;35(2):319-32. PMID:12160749
