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Charybdotoxin blocks both Ca‐activated K channels and Ca‐independent voltage‐gated K channels in rat brain synaptosomes
Author(s) -
Schneider M.J.,
Rogowski R.S.,
Krueger B.K.,
Blaustein M.P.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(89)80771-9
Subject(s) - charybdotoxin , chemistry , biophysics , channel blocker , potassium channel , stereochemistry , membrane potential , biochemistry , biology , calcium , organic chemistry
Charybdotoxin (ChTX), a 4.3 kDa polypeptide toxin from the venom of the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus , blocks both a Ca‐activated K channel (IC 50 ≈ 15 nM) and a Ca‐independent voltage‐gated K channel (IC 50 ≈ 40 nM) in rat brain synaptosomes. These results indicate that in this preparation ChTX is not specific for the Ca‐activated K channel and suggest that there may be structural homology among the toxin‐binding sites on various types of K channels.