title: Potassium channel blockade by the B subunit of beta-bungarotoxin.
abstract: beta-Bungarotoxin (beta-BTX) isolated from the venom of Bungarus multicinctus has previously been reported to be a neurotoxic protein. The toxin is composed of two subunit chains, denoted A and B. The intact toxin was first examined in this study for its ability to block central nerve ending K channels using the 86Rb efflux technique. beta-BTX, when preincubated with synaptosomes for 30 min in the absence of extracellular Ca2+, selectively inhibited the slowly inactivating voltage-dependent (S) component of 86Rb efflux. The EC50 for inhibition is 1 to 3 nM. The two subunit chains were separated and isolated by reduction and carboxymethylation of the parent toxin. The K channel-blocking activity was associated only with the reduced and carboxymethylated B-subunit of beta-BTX (RCM-B). The dose-dependent inhibition by RCM-B exhibited an apparent biphasic response, with the noninactivating voltage-gated K channel being more susceptible to RCM-B inhibition (EC50 = 0.1 to 0.3 nM) than to inhibition by the parent compound. Additionally, the inactivating voltage-gated K channel (T) was sensitive to inhibition by higher concentrations of RCM-B (EC50 = 1 to 3 nM). These results suggest that the B-chain of beta-BTX may be responsible for blockade of certain voltage-gated K channels in a manner that is not directly related to the known phospholipase activity of the intact molecule.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Benishin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002038:Bungarotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008745:Methylation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000378:metabolism; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002038:Bungarotoxins; D015221:Potassium Channels; D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D010741:Phospholipases A