Specificity of action of β-bungarotoxin on acetylcholine release from synaptosomes

Three-dimensional structures of neurotoxins and cardiotoxins

“…Neurotoxic as well as nonneurotoxic snake venom phospholipases show extensive sequence homology with PLA2S from mammalian pancreas. It is not yet quite clear whether the enzymatic activity is necessary for the neurotoxic action (95). Besides neurotoxicity, snake venom phospholipases may induce a variety of pathological effects in different animal tissues or organs.…”

“…Dendrotoxins facilitate the release of acetylcholine and of a variety of other neurotransmitters at peripheral and central synapses, an effect opposite to that of 8-bungarotoxin which irreversibly blocks transmitter release [after a transient increase (95)]. However, they can inhibit 8-bungarotoxin, indicating that these toxins share a common binding site (7 7 7).…”