Serotherapy against Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel-Targeting αToxins from Androctonus Scorpion Venom.

ABSTRACT: Because of their venom lethality towards mammals, scorpions of the Androctonus genus are considered a critical threat to human health in North Africa. Several decades of exploration have led to a comprehensive inventory of their venom components at chemical, pharmacological, and immunological levels. Typically, these venoms contain selective and high affinity ligands for the voltage-gated sodium (Nav) and potassium (Kv) channels that dictate cellular excitability. In the well-studied Androctonusaustralis and Androctonusmauretanicus venoms, almost all the lethality in mammals is due to the so-called α-toxins. These peptides commonly delay the fast inactivation process of Nav channels, which leads to increased sodium entry and a subsequent cell membrane depolarization. Markedly, their neutra

SUBMITTER: Martin-Eauclaire MF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6410273 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature