Poneratoxin

Poneratoxin is a paralyzing neurotoxic peptide from the bullet ant "Paraponera clavata" that affects voltage-dependent sodium ion channels and blocks the synaptic transmission in the insect central nervous system. It is being investigated for possible medical applications.

See also

* Toxin

External links

* [http://us.expasy.org/spotlight/back_issues/sptlt014.shtml Short article on the bullet ant and poneratoxin]
* [http://content.febsjournal.org/cgi/reprint/271/11/2127.pdf Eur. J. Biochem. 271, 2127–2136 (2004)] "Poneratoxin, a neurotoxin from ant venom. Structure and expression in insect cells and construction of a bio-insecticide" (pdf)
* Calculated position of poneratoxin in the lipid bilayer