title: A toxic fraction from scolopendra venom increases the basal release of neurotransmitters in the ventral ganglia of crustaceans.
abstract: A toxic fraction from centipede (Scolopendra sp.) venom was tested in neurotransmitter release experiments. The venom was fractionated by DEAE-cellulose with a linear gradient from 20 mM to 1.0 M of ammonium acetate pH 4.7. Lethality tests were performed by injections into the third abdominal dorsolateral segment of sweet water crayfishes of the species Cambarellus cambarellus. Only fraction V (TF) was toxic. Analysis by SDS-PAGE showed that this fraction contains at least seven proteins. It induces an increase of basal gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) and glutamate release from ventral abdominal ganglia of C. cambarellus. Assays conducted with this fraction in the presence of several drugs that affect ion channel function suggested that TF modifies membrane permeability by increasing basal release of neurotransmitters was very likely through sodium channels.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory de Neurofarmacología, Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca Morelos C.P. 62210, Mexico. carmengu@cib.uaem.mx
authors.forename: María del Carmen
authors.initials: Mdel C
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abarca
authors.forename: Lourival D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Possani
mesh_terms: D015761:4-Aminopyridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001180:Arthropod Venoms / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D003445:Crustacea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D017952:Ganglia, Invertebrate / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001180:Arthropod Venoms; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D015761:4-Aminopyridine; D002118:Calcium