Electrophysiological evaluation of the effect of peptide toxins on voltage-gated ion channels: a scoping review on theoretical and methodological aspects with focus on the Central and South American experience.
Jessica Rojas-Palomino, Alejandro Gómez-Restrepo, Cristian Salinas-Restrepo, César Segura, Marco A Giraldo, Juan C Calderón
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The effect of peptide toxins on voltage-gated ion channels can be reliably assessed using electrophysiological assays, such as the patch-clamp technique. However, much of the toxinological research done in Central and South America aims at purifying and characterizing biochemical properties of the toxins of vegetal or animal origin, lacking electrophysiological approaches. This may happen due to technical and infrastructure limitations or because researchers are unfamiliar with the techniques and cellular models that can be used to gain information about the effect of a molecule on ion channels. Given the potential interest of many research groups in the highly biodiverse region of Central and South America, we reviewed the most relevant conceptual and methodological developments required to implement the evaluation of the effect of peptide toxins on mammalian voltage-gated ion channels using patch-clamp. For that, we searched MEDLINE/PubMed and SciELO databases with different combinations of these descriptors: "electrophysiology", "patch-clamp techniques", "Ca2+ channels", "K+ channels", "cnidarian venoms", "cone snail venoms", "scorpion venoms", "spider venoms", "snake venoms", "cardiac myocytes", "dorsal root ganglia", and summarized the literature as a scoping review. First, we present the basics and recent advances in mammalian voltage-gated ion channel's structure and function and update the most important animal sources of channel-modulating toxins (e.g. cnidarian and cone snails, scorpions, spiders, and snakes), highlighting the properties of toxins electrophysiologically characterized in Central and South America. Finally, we describe the local experience in implementing the patch-clamp technique using two models of excitable cells, as well as the participation in characterizing new modulators of ion channels derived from the venom of a local spider, a toxins' source less studied with electrophysiological techniques. Fostering the implementation of electrophysiological methods in more laboratories in the region will strengthen our capabilities in many fields, such as toxinology, toxicology, pharmacology, natural products, biophysics, biomedicine, and bioengineering.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases (JVATiTD) is a non-commercial academic open access publication dedicated to research on all aspects of toxinology, venomous animals and tropical diseases. Its interdisciplinary content includes original scientific articles covering research on toxins derived from animals, plants and microorganisms. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:systematics and morphology of venomous animals;physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and immunology of toxins;epidemiology, clinical aspects and treatment of envenoming by different animals, plants and microorganisms;development and evaluation of antivenoms and toxin-derivative products;epidemiology, clinical aspects and treatment of tropical diseases (caused by virus, bacteria, algae, fungi and parasites) including the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) defined by the World Health Organization.