title: Polyamine toxins: development of selective ligands for ionotropic receptors.
abstract: Polyamine toxins, isolated from spiders and wasps, have been used as pharmacological tools for the study of ionotropic receptors, but their use have so far been hampered by their lack of selectivity. In this mini-review, we describe how careful synthetic modification of native polyamine toxins have led to highly selective and potent new ligands for specific ionotropic receptors, particularly certain glutamate receptors subtypes, as well as nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Moreover, the recent developments of synthetic methods, that have greatly facilitated the synthesis of polyamine toxins and their analogues are described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry, The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. krst@dfuni.dk
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strømgaard
authors.forename: Lars S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Stine B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Vogensen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000737:chemistry*; D011073:Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*; D013112:Spiders; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014862:Wasp Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*; D014863:Wasps
chemical_list: D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D011073:Polyamines; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D013111:Spider Venoms; D014862:Wasp Venoms