Conotoxin

Conotoxin is a type of toxin that is produced by the marine cone snail, or Conus species. These toxins are used by the snails to paralyze their prey. Conotoxins are short peptides and they have a variety of effects, due to their interactions with ion channels.

Structure and Function

Conotoxins are typically composed of 10-30 amino acid residues, including a high proportion of cysteine. They have a variety of different structures, but most have a common framework of disulfide bonds which create a highly stable structure. This structure allows them to interact with specific ion channels, such as calcium channels, sodium channels, and potassium channels.

Types of Conotoxins

There are several different types of conotoxins, which are classified based on their target ion channels. Some of the most well-known types include:

• Mu-Conotoxins: These conotoxins target sodium channels, and are used by the cone snails to induce paralysis in their prey.
• Omega-Conotoxins: These conotoxins target calcium channels. They are used in research to understand the function of these channels in the body.
• Delta-Conotoxins: These conotoxins target the sodium channels in the nervous system, and are used in research to understand the function of these channels in the body.

Medical Uses

Conotoxins have potential uses in medicine, due to their ability to target specific ion channels. For example, the omega-conotoxin MVIIA (also known as Ziconotide) is used as a pain reliever. It works by blocking calcium channels in the spinal cord, which prevents the transmission of pain signals to the brain.

See Also

• Venom
• Neurotoxin
• Ziconotide

References

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