How does Alpha Cobratoxin work?
α-Cobratoxin binds antagonistically and slowly reversible to muscle-type and neuronal type nAChRs. This bond will block the receptor’s ability to bind acetylcholine and thereby inhibits the ion flow through the postsynaptic membrane, which will lead to paralysation.
What does neurotoxic venom do?
Neurotoxic venom acts on the nervous system, including the brain. Cytotoxic venom has a localized action at the site of the bite.
What does alpha bungarotoxin bind?
α-Bungarotoxin is a 74-amino-acid, 8 kDa α-neurotoxin with five disulfide bridges that binds as a competitive antagonist to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The multiple disulfide bonds and small amount of secondary structure seen in α-BTX is the cause of the extreme stability of this kind of neurotoxin.
How does the Bungarotoxin affect the nervous system?
It produces paralysis of striated muscles by blocking cholinergic receptors in the neuromuscular junction. The toxin also blocks a subtype of neuronal cholinergic receptor (α7) located in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
What toxin is in cobra?
alpha-neurotoxin
The effect of cobra bites is mainly neurotoxic. This is explained by the presence of highly potent alpha-neurotoxin in their venoms. The other two highly toxic components of cobra venoms are cytotoxins and phospholipases A(2). These three types of toxins constitute a major part of cobra venom.
What is snake poison called?
venom
The entire mixture is called venom. Not only is there much variability in venom composition among snake species, there is also tremendous variability in susceptibility to different snake venoms by potential prey species.
Which is the deadliest snake?
The saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) may be the deadliest of all snakes, since scientists believe it to be responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined.