Abstract
The venom of the black mamba contains a 60-amino acid peptide called calciseptine. The peptide has been fully sequenced. It is a smooth muscle relaxant and an inhibitor of cardiac contractions. Its physiological action resembles that of drugs, such as the 1,4-dihydropyridines, which are important in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Calciseptine, like the 1,4-dihydropyridines, selectively blocks L-type Ca2+ channels and is totally inactive on other voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels such as N-type and T-type channels. To our knowledge, it is the only natural polypeptide that has been shown to be a specific inhibitor of L-type Ca2+ channels.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Amino Acid Sequence
-
Animals
-
Calcium Channel Blockers / pharmacology*
-
Calcium Channels / drug effects
-
Calcium Channels / physiology*
-
Cell Line
-
Elapid Venoms / chemistry
-
Elapid Venoms / isolation & purification
-
Elapid Venoms / pharmacology*
-
Electric Conductivity
-
Female
-
In Vitro Techniques
-
Membrane Potentials / drug effects
-
Molecular Sequence Data
-
Muscle Contraction / drug effects
-
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / drug effects
-
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / physiology
-
Neurons / drug effects
-
Neurons / physiology*
-
Rats
-
Uterine Contraction / drug effects
Substances
-
Calcium Channel Blockers
-
Calcium Channels
-
Elapid Venoms
-
calciseptine