Isolation and Characterization of Two Postsynaptic Neurotoxins From Indian Cobra (Naja Naja) Venom.

ABSTRACT: The Indian Cobra (Naja naja) is among the "Big Four" responsible for most of the snakebite envenoming cases in India. Although recent proteomic studies suggest the presence of postsynaptic neurotoxins in N. naja venom, little is known about the pharmacology of these toxins. We isolated and characterized α-Elapitoxin-Nn2a (α-EPTX-Nn2a; 7020 Da) and α-Elapitoxin-Nn3a (α-EPTX-Nn3a; 7807 Da), a short-chain and long-chain postsynaptic neurotoxin, respectively, which constitute 1 and 3% of N. naja venom. α-EPTX-Nn2a (100-300 nM) and α-EPTX-Nn3a (100-300 nM) both induced concentration-dependent inhibition of indirect twitches and abolished contractile responses of tissues to exogenous acetylcholine and carbachol, in the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation. The pr

SUBMITTER: Huynh TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8996157 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature