Definition: Peptide neurotoxins from the marine fish-hunting snails of the genus CONUS. They contain 13 to 29 amino acids which are strongly basic and are highly cross-linked by disulfide bonds. There are three types of conotoxins, omega-, alpha-, and mu-. OMEGA-CONOTOXINS inhibit voltage-activated entry of calcium into the presynaptic membrane and therefore the release of ACETYLCHOLINE. Alpha-conotoxins inhibit the postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor. Mu-conotoxins prevent the generation of muscle action potentials. (From Concise Encyclopedia Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 3rd ed)
OMEGA-CONOTOXINS and OMEGA-CONOTOXIN GVIA are available
Other names mu Conotoxins; mu Conotoxin; alpha Conotoxins; alpha Conotoxin; mu-Conotoxin; alpha-Conotoxin; Conotoxin; mu-Conotoxins; alpha-Conotoxins
alpha-conotoxin MII [ MII alpha-conotoxin ] inhibits alpha3beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; isolated from Conus magus; amino acid sequence in first source
