Shown is the homopentameric acetylcholine receptor protein Ac-AChBP (Sea slug Aplysia californica AcetylCholine Binding Protein) in complex with the competitive inhibitor α-conotoxin-ImI from Conidae cone snails.
Ac-AChBP is a ligand-gated ion channel in the nervous system of animals, controlling nerve signal transmission by regulating ion flow between neuromuscular junctions. Cone snails paralyse their prey by injecting them with multiple conotoxins, each with a molecular target. The snail can then consume prey whole. α-conotoxin-ImI binding stabilises Ac-AChBP in a non-functional conformation, preventing neuromuscular signal transmission in prey. It’s a cyclic peptide, disulfide linkages granting resistance to environmental conditions and increasing binding affinity. researching conotoxin-receptor interactions can lead to new nervous system drugs such as peptides directly targeted to inhibit pain synapses.
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