Festoff B W
Ann Clin Lab Sci. 1975 Sep-Oct;5(5):377-82.
This paper is a summary of studies over the past few years that pertain to animal neurotoxins. These toxins are found throughout the animal kingdom. Homologies exist in the structures of these poisons within classes and point to conservation of active sites throughout evolution. In the case of the peptides, invariant amino acids may be involved in the active site, be essential for maintaining the shape and conformation of the molecule or serve as a fulcrum for folding of the peptide chain after synthesis. At the nuclear or DNA-level, a constant base sequence may regulate gene operation so that only a specific amino acid is coded. Physiologically, and with ultrastructural and biochemical correlation, the predominant mode of action of neurotoxins relate to one or the other of the major activities of the excitable cell,--on conductile activity affecting Na+ or K+ permeabilities, on output or secretory activities affecting the release of neurotransmitter or on in put generator activities affecting the receptor molecules for transmitter themselves. The future of these animal neurotoxins in neurobiological research is secure. The elucidation of molecular mechanisms, by which these various physiological activities of excitable tissue are expressed, will surely involve one or more of these fascinating, naturally-occurring compounds.
本文是对过去几年有关动物神经毒素研究的总结。这些毒素在动物界广泛存在。在不同类别中，这些毒素的结构存在同源性，这表明在整个进化过程中活性位点具有保守性。就肽而言，不变的氨基酸可能参与活性位点，对维持分子的形状和构象至关重要，或者在合成后作为肽链折叠的支点。在核或DNA水平上，恒定的碱基序列可能调节基因运作，从而仅编码特定的氨基酸。从生理学角度以及与超微结构和生化的相关性来看，神经毒素的主要作用方式与可兴奋细胞的一种或多种主要活动有关，即影响Na +或K +通透性的传导活动、影响神经递质释放的输出或分泌活动，或影响递质自身受体分子的输入产生器活动。这些动物神经毒素在神经生物学研究中的未来是确定的。阐明可兴奋组织的这些各种生理活动得以表达的分子机制，肯定会涉及这些迷人的天然存在的化合物中的一种或多种。
