Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are found in the neuromuscular junction, peripheral nervous and central nervous systems of both invertebrates and vertebrates. These receptors play essential roles in mediating synaptic transmission and modulating the release of a variety of neurotransmitters. Different molecular forms of the nAChR are comprised of homopentameric (α7 and α9) and heteropentameric (e.g. α3β2, α4β2, and α1β1γε) arrangements of subunits that have discrete anatomical locations and distinct physiological functions. Dysfunction or dysregulation of nAChRs is implicated in a variety of neuropsychiatric disease states including schizophrenia, Parkinson, Alzheimer, depression and nicotine addiction. α-Conotoxins are a family of small peptides used by carnivorous marine snails to envenomate their prey. These peptides are small, disulfide-linked, conformationally constrained antagonists of nAChRs. They generally target the ligand-binding site of these receptors. Although the fold of their peptide backbone is highly conserved, differences in amino acid side chains lead to a remarkable degree of receptor subtype specificity. Here you have the pentameric structure of the Alpha-conotoxin OmIA from the sea snail Conus omaria, determined by X-ray diffraction (PDB code: 7N43)
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #toxin ... #conotoxin ... #seasnail ... #venom ... #conusomaria ... #xray ... #acetylcholine ... #receptor
Toxin structure rendered with @proteinimaging and represented by @corelphotopaint
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #toxin ... #conotoxin ... #seasnail ... #venom ... #conusomaria ... #xray ... #acetylcholine ... #receptor
Toxin structure rendered with @proteinimaging and represented by @corelphotopaint
