Conotoxins Targeting Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: An Overview

Conotoxins Targeting Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: An Overview

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 ace...

Recent Developments in Novel Antidepressants Targeting α4β2-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have been investigated for developing drugs that can potentially treat various central nervous system disorders. Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that modulation of the cholinergic system through activation and/or desensitization/inactivation of nAChR holds promise for the development of new antidepressants. The introductory portion of thi...

ACCELERATED COMMUNICATION Are 9 10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors a Pain Target for -Conotoxins?

The synthetic -conotoxin Vc1.1 is a small disulfide bonded peptide currently in development as a treatment for neuropathic pain. Unlike Vc1.1, the native post-translationally modified peptide vc1a does not act as an analgesic in vivo in rat models of neuropathic pain. It has recently been proposed that the primary target of Vc1.1 is the 9 10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). We show tha...

Are 9 10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors a Pain Target for -Conotoxins?

The synthetic -conotoxin Vc1.1 is a small disulfide bonded peptide currently in development as a treatment for neuropathic pain. Unlike Vc1.1, the native post-translationally modified peptide vc1a does not act as an analgesic in vivo in rat models of neuropathic pain. It has recently been proposed that the primary target of Vc1.1 is the 9 10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). We show tha...

An Introduction to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and acetylcholine-binding protein