Saxitoxin, a toxic marine natural product that targets a multitude of receptors.
Saxitoxin (STX) was discovered early last century and can contaminate seafood and drinking water, and over time has become an invaluable research tool and an internationally regulated chemical weapon. Among natural products, toxins obtain a unique reputation from their high affinity and selectivity for their target pharmacological receptor, which for STX has long been considered to only be the voltage gated sodium channel. In recent times however, STX has been discovered to also bind to calcium and potassium channels, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, STX metabolizing enzymes and two circulatory fluid proteins, namely a transferrin-like family of proteins and a unique protein found in the blood of pufferfish.
Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC, Qld. L.Llewellyn@aims.gov.au
Lyndon E
LE
Llewellyn
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000187:drug effects*; D012530:Saxitoxin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
D001688:Biological Products; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D007473:Ion Channels; D008387:Marine Toxins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D012530:Saxitoxin