Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Nav1.2 , Nav1.3 , Nav1.4 , Nav1.5 , Nav1.6

Title: A delta-conotoxin from Conus ermineus venom inhibits inactivation in vertebrate neuronal Na+ channels but not in skeletal and cardiac muscles.

Authors: Julien Barbier, Hung Lamthanh, Frédéric Le Gall, Philippe Favreau, Evelyne Benoit, Haijun Chen, Nicolas Gilles, Nitza Ilan, Stefan H Heinemann, Dalia Gordon, André Ménez, Jordi Molgó

Journal, date & volume: J. Biol. Chem., 2004 Feb 6 , 279, 4680-5

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14615484

Abstract
We have isolated delta-conotoxin EVIA (delta-EVIA), a conopeptide in Conus ermineus venom that contains 32 amino acid residues and a six-cysteine/four-loop framework similar to that of previously described omega-, delta-, microO-, and kappa-conotoxins. However, it displays low sequence homology with the latter conotoxins. delta-EVIA inhibits Na+ channel inactivation with unique tissue specificity upon binding to receptor site 6 of neuronal Na+ channels. Using amphibian myelinated axons and spinal neurons, we showed that delta-EVIA increases the duration of action potentials by inhibiting Na+ channel inactivation. delta-EVIA considerably enhanced nerve terminal excitability and synaptic efficacy at the frog neuromuscular junction but did not affect directly elicited muscle action potentials. The neuronally selective property of delta-EVIA was confirmed by showing that a fluorescent derivative of delta-EVIA labeled motor nerve endings but not skeletal muscle fibers. In a heterologous expression system, delta-EVIA inhibited inactivation of rat neuronal Na+ channel subtypes (rNaV1.2a, rNaV1.3, and rNaV1.6) but did not affect rat skeletal (rNaV1.4) and human cardiac muscle (hNaV1.5) Na+ channel subtypes. delta-EVIA, in the range of concentrations used, is the first conotoxin found to affect neuronal Na+ channels without acting on Na+ channels of skeletal and cardiac muscle. Therefore, it is a unique tool for discriminating voltage-sensitive Na+ channel subtypes and for studying the distribution and modulation mechanisms of neuronal Na+ channels, and it may serve as a lead to design new drugs adapted to treat diseases characterized by defective nerve conduction.