Snake postsynaptic neurotoxins: Gene structure, phylogeny and applications in research and therapy

Abstract

Snake venoms are complex mixtures of biologically active polypeptides that target a variety of vital physiological functions in mammals. α-Neurotoxins, toxins that cause paralysis by binding to the nicotinic receptors at the postsynaptic region of the neuromuscular junction have been widely studied in terms of their structure-function relationships as well as gene structure, organization and expression. In this review, we describe the structure of α-neurotoxin genes and discuss their evolutionary relationships. Almost all members of neurotoxins have been found to exhibit a common evolutionary origin. The importance of α-neurotoxins in therapy and research has also been discussed to highlight their potential applications especially in the area of drug discovery. © 2003 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.