title: Arylamine toxins from funnel-web spider (Agelenopsis aperta) venom antagonize N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor function in mammalian brain.
abstract: The venom of the North American funnel-web spider Agelenopsis aperta contains a variety of arylamine toxins (the alpha-agatoxins) that paralyze insects by blocking glutamatergic neuromuscular transmission. We have tested six synthetic alpha-agatoxins for their ability to antagonize glutamate receptor function in mammalian brain. These compounds produce, at submicromolar concentrations, noncompetitive inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated elevations in the concentration of cytosolic free calcium in cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons. In contrast, the alpha-agatoxins are relatively weak antagonists of elevations in the cytosolic free calcium concentration induced by non-NMDA receptor agonists. The alpha-agatoxins also produce reversible suppression of the NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic potential in rat hippocampal slices at concentrations that have little effect on the non-NMDA receptor-mediated population spike. We conclude that the alpha-agatoxins are selective and reversible noncompetitive antagonists at NMDA receptors in mammalian brain.
authors.affiliation: Natural Product Sciences Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah 84108.
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Parks
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Artman
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Albensi
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Nemeth
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Jasys
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Saccomano
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Volkmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D005998:Glycine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007051:Ibotenic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000187:drug effects; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D013111:Spider Venoms; D007051:Ibotenic Acid; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid; D007608:Kainic Acid; D002118:Calcium; D005998:Glycine