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As is the case for Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae W303 protects Fisher rats against cholera toxin (CT). The addition of glucose or dinitrophenol to cells of S. boulardii grown on a nonfermentable carbon source activated trehalase in a manner similar to that observed for S. cerevisiae. The addition of CT to the same cells also resulted in trehalase activation. Experiments performed separately on the A and B subunits of CT showed that both are necessary for activation. Similarly, the addition of CT but not of its separate subunits led to a cyclic AMP (cAMP) signal in both S. boulardii and S. cerevisiae. These data suggest that trehalase stimulation by CT probably occurred through the cAMP-mediated protein phosphorylation cascade. The requirement of CT subunit B for both the cAMP signal and trehalase activation indicates the presence of a specific receptor on the yeasts able to bind to the toxin, a situation similar to that observed for mammalian cells. This hypothesis was reinforced by experiments with 125I-labeled CT showing specific binding of the toxin to yeast cells. The adhesion of CT to a receptor on the yeast surface through the B subunit and internalization of the A subunit (necessary for the cAMP signal and trehalase activation) could be one more mechanism explaining protection against the toxin observed for rats treated with yeasts.

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A toxin was purified to homogeneity from the venom of the South American armed spider Phoneutria nigriventer and found to have a molecular mass of 8600 Da and a C-terminally amidated glycine residue. It appears to be identical to Toxin 1 (Tx1) isolated previously from this venom. Tx1 reversibly inhibited sodium currents in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing recombinant sodium (Na v 1.2) channels without affecting their fast biophysical properties. The kinetics of inhibition of peak sodium current varied with membrane potential, with on-rates increasing and off-rates decreasing with more depolarized holding potentials in the Ϫ100 to Ϫ50 mV range. Thus, the apparent affinity of Tx1 for the channel increases as the membrane is depolarized. A mono[125 I]iodo-Tx1 derivative displayed high-affinity binding to a single class of sites (K D ϭ 80 pM, B max ϭ 0.43 pmol/mg protein) in rat brain membranes. Solubilized binding sites were immunoprecipitated by antibodies directed against a conserved motif in sodium channel ␣ subunits. 125 I-Tx1 binding was competitively displaced by conotoxin GIIIB (IC 50 ϭ 0.5 M) but not by 1 M tetrodotoxin. However, the inhibition of 125 I-Tx1 binding by conotoxin GIIIB was abrogated in the presence of tetrodotoxin (1 M). Patch-clamp and binding data indicate that P. nigriventer Tx1 is a novel, state-dependent sodium-channel blocker that binds to a site in proximity to pharmacological site 1, overlapping conotoxin but not tetrodotoxin binding sites.

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