title: Conotoxins targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: an overview.
abstract: Marine snails of the genus Conus are a large family of predatory gastropods with an unparalleled molecular diversity of pharmacologically active compounds in their venom. Cone snail venom comprises of a rich and diverse cocktail of peptide toxins which act on a wide variety of ion channels such as voltage-gated sodium- (NaV), potassium- (KV), and calcium- (CaV) channels as well as nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) which are classified as ligand-gated ion channels. The mode of action of several conotoxins has been the subject of investigation, while for many others this remains unknown. This review aims to give an overview of the knowledge we have today on the molecular pharmacology of conotoxins specifically interacting with nAChRs along with the structure-function relationship data.
authors.affiliation: Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), O&N2 P.O.Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. eline.lebbe@pharm.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Eline K M
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Lebbe
authors.affiliation: Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), O&N2 P.O.Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. steve.peigneur@pharm.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peigneur
authors.affiliation: Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), O&N2 P.O.Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. wijesekaraliyanageisuru.wijesekara@pharm.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Isuru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wijesekara
authors.affiliation: Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), O&N2 P.O.Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. jan.tytgat@pharm.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tytgat
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020916:Conotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052078:Conus Snail / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000187:drug effects*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020916:Conotoxins; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic