Abstract
The interaction between two nonhomologous K+ channel toxins, Tityus serrulatus (scorpion) toxin tityustoxin-Kα (TsTX-Kα) and Dendroaspis angusticeps (snake) toxin dendrotoxin (α-DTX), was investigated on K+ currents in B82 fibroblast cells transformed to express the Kv1.2 K+ channel. As demonstrated previously, α-DTX was a potent blocker of the K+ current (Kd, 2.8 nM). Recombinant TsTX-Kα produced a similar block of the current but was 1 order of magnitude more potent (Kd, 0.21 nM). TsTX-Kα did not affect the kinetic properties of the current or its voltage dependence of activation. Experiments with excised and cell-attached patch recordings demonstrated that TsTX-Kα blocks the K+ channel by binding to an extracellular site. In the presence of TsTX-Kα the blocking potency of α-DTX was reduced, whereas the potency of 4-aminopyridine, which also blocks the channel, was unaffected. α-DTX caused a rightward shift in the scaled concentration-response curve for TsTX-Kα, the magnitude of which was reasonably well predicted by a model in which there is a competitive interaction between the two peptide toxins. We conclude that TsTX-Kα and α-DTX block the Kv1.2 K+ channel by binding to the same or closely related sites.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 430-436 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Molecular Pharmacology |
Volume | 44 |
Issue number | 2 |
State | Published - Aug 1993 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmacology