Elsevier

Toxicon

Volume 25, Issue 6, 1987, Pages 681-684
Toxicon

Short communication
Depolarization of skeletal muscle cells in culture by a cardiotoxin-like basic polypeptide from the venom of the Taiwan cobra (Naja naja atra)

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Abstract

A. L. Harvey and K. Hayashi. Depolarization of skeletal muscle cells in culture by a cardiotoxin-like basic polypeptide from the venom of the Taiwan cobra (Naja naja atra). Toxicon25, 681 – 684, 1987. — A cardiotoxin-like basic polypeptide from the venom of Naja naja atra is homologous to cardiotoxins from the same venom, but much less toxic. To determine if it acts like the cardiotoxins its depolarizing ability was measured. It was about 10 times less potent than the cardiotoxins. Five amino acids are conserved in the sequences studied, on the exposed second and third loops of the toxin backbone. They may be part of the toxins' interactive site.

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Cited by (5)

  • Improved method for the isolation, characterization and examination of neuromuscular and toxic properties of selected polypeptide fractions from the crude venom of the Taiwan cobra Naja naja atra

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    The membrane damaging activity is also responsible for its bactericidal activity (Chen et al., 2011). Naja atra venom also contains cardiotoxin-like basic miniproteins (CLBP) that depolarize skeletal muscle cells (Harvey and Hayashi, 1987) whose sequences have been already elucidated (Inoue et al., 1989). Phospholipase A2 (Lo et al., 1972; Tsai et al., 1981) is another component of this cobra venom that contributes to its toxicity due to its ability to destroy cell membranes.

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