Tityus serrulatus venom contains two classes of toxins. Tityus gamma toxin is a new tool with a very high affinity for studying the Na+ channel.

The interaction of TiTx gamma, the major toxin in the venom of the scorpion Tityus serrulatus, with its receptor in excitable membranes was studied with the use of 125I-TiTx gamma. This derivative retains biological activity, and its specific binding to both brain synaptosomes and electroplaque membranes from Electrophorus electricus is characterized by a dissociation constant equal to that of the native toxin-receptor complex, about 2 to 5 pM. This very high affinity results mainly from a very slow rate of dissociation, equivalent to a half-life longer than 10 h at 4 degrees C. There is a 1:1 stoichiometry between TiTx gamma binding and tetrodotoxin binding to the membranes, but neither tetrodotoxin nor any of 7 other neurotoxins that are representative of 4 different classes of effectors of the Na+ channel interfere with TiTx gamma binding. Similarly, local anesthetics and other molecules that affect other types of ionic channels or neurotransmitter receptors have no effect on TiTx gamma binding. However, toxin II from Centruroides suffusus suffusus does compete with TiTx gamma, though its affinity for the receptor is much lower. Since the Centruroides toxin II is known to affect Na+ channel function, these two scorpion toxins must be put into a fifth class of Na+ channel effectors.