Antigenic polymorphism of the "short" scorpion toxins able to block K+ channels

Toxicon. 2004 Mar 15;43(4):447-53. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2004.02.016.

Abstract

BmTX3 is a toxin recently characterised from the venom of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensi Karch, which specifically blocks a transient A-type K+ current in striatum neurons in culture and binds to rat brain synaptosomes with high affinity. With Aa1 and AmmTX3, it belongs to the new alpha-KTx15 subfamily from "short-chain" scorpion toxins, which specifically block different types of K+ channels. Here, a highly specific polyclonal antiserum was raised in rabbit against a C-terminal deleted BmTX3 analogue (BmTX-del YP). Using liquid-phase radioimmunoassay, we have studied its selectivity for the toxins from the alpha-KTx15 subfamily. We have also demonstrated that no/or poor cross-reactivity was observed with a panel of "short-chain" scorpion toxins representative of other structurally different subfamilies. These results suggest that a wide antigenic polymorphism, similar to that previously observed for "long-chain" scorpion toxins acting as modulators of voltage-activated Na+ channels, is also the rule for the "short-chain" scorpion toxins able to block K+ channels.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Binding, Competitive
  • Charybdotoxin / genetics
  • Cross Reactions
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Immune Sera / immunology*
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Conformation
  • Radioimmunoassay
  • Scorpion Venoms / chemistry*
  • Scorpion Venoms / genetics
  • Scorpion Venoms / immunology*
  • Scorpions*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology

Substances

  • Immune Sera
  • Scorpion Venoms
  • TX3 toxin, Buthus martensii
  • Charybdotoxin