The cholinergic antagonist α-bungarotoxin also binds and blocks a subset of GABA receptors
- *Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138; and
- †Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110
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Contributed by Joshua R. Sanes, February 2, 2006
Abstract
The polypeptide snake toxin α-bungarotoxin (BTX) has been used in hundreds of studies on the structure, function, and development of the neuromuscular junction because it binds tightly and specifically to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) at this synapse. We show here that BTX also binds to and blocks a subset of GABAA receptors (GABAARs) that contain the GABAAR β3 subunit. These results introduce a previously unrecognized tool for analysis of GABAARs but may complicate interpretation of some studies on neuronal nAChRs.
Footnotes
- ‡To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, 7 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138. E-mail: sanesj{at}mcb.harvard.edu
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Author contributions: C.M.M., J.B., J.H.S., and J.R.S. designed research; C.M.M. and J.B. performed research; J.B. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; C.M.M., J.B., J.H.S., and J.R.S. analyzed data; and C.M.M., J.H.S., and J.R.S. wrote the paper.
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Conflict of interest statement: No conflicts declared.
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↵ § Borodinsky, L. N. & Spitzer, N. C. (2005) 2005 Abstract Viewer and Itinerary Planner (Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC), Program 27.1 (abstr.).
- Abbreviations:
- BTX,
- α-bungarotoxin;
- GABAAR,
- GABAA receptor;
- nAChR,
- nicotinic acetylcholine receptor;
- MEQ,
- 6-methoxy-N-ethylquinolium iodide
- © 2006 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
