The cholinergic antagonist alpha-bungarotoxin also binds and blocks a subset of GABA receptors.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: McCann CM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1458809 | biostudies-other | 2006 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
Publications
The cholinergic antagonist alpha-bungarotoxin also binds and blocks a subset of GABA receptors.
McCann Corey M CM Bracamontes John J Steinbach Joe Henry JH Sanes Joshua R JR
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20060320 13
The polypeptide snake toxin alpha-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 GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A)Rs) that contain the GABA(A)R beta3 subunit. These results introduce a previously unrecognized tool for analysis of GABA(A)Rs but may complica ...[more]
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