Alpha-neurotoxin (null)

Postsynaptic neurotoxins, commonly referred to as alpha-neurotoxins, are a class of snake venom proteins that bind with high affinity to postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on skeletal muscle at the neuromuscular junction, competitively inhibiting acetylcholine binding[4][5][6][7]. This blockade disrupts normal synaptic transmission, leading to paralysis, which can be fatal if respiratory muscles are affected. Alpha-neurotoxins fall into the 'three-finger toxin' (3FTx) protein superfamily and are further classified into short-chain and long-chain subtypes based on their amino acid length and disulfide bond configuration[4]. They are used extensively as probes in neuroscience to study the structure and function of acetylcholine receptors, but are not themselves therapeutic targets—rather, they are the active agents in venom toxicity for which antivenoms are developed.

Other names

Alpha-neurotoxinPostsynaptic alpha-neurotoxinSnake postsynaptic toxinα-bungarotoxin (as a prototypical member)Long-chain alpha-neurotoxinShort-chain alpha-neurotoxin

Competitive antagonism of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) at postsynaptic membranes, blocking acetylcholine binding and preventing synaptic transmission[4][5][6]