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Shal-type (Kv4.x) potassium channel pore blockers from scorpion venoms

Pierre Edouard Bougis^*, Marie-France Martin-Eauclaire

Aix-Marseille University, The National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Research Center for Neurobiology and Neurophysiology of Marseille UMR7286, 13344, Marseille, France

Abstract

Voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv4.1, Kv4.2 and Kv4.3) encoded by the members of the KCND/Kv4 (Shal) channel family mediate the native, fast inactivating (A-type) K+ current (IA) described both in heart and neurons. This IA current is specifically blocked by short scorpion toxins that belong to the α-KTx15 subfamily and which act as pore blockers, a different mode of action by comparison to spider toxins known as gating modifiers. This review summarizes our present chemical and pharmacological knowledge on the α-KTx15 toxins.

Key words: Potassium channel; Kv4; pore blockers; scorpion venoms

Received: 2015-02-24　　Accepted: 2015-05-25

Corresponding author: Pierre Edouard Bougis　　E-mail: pierre-edouard.bougis@univ-amu.fr

Citing This Article：

Pierre Edouard Bougis, Marie-France Martin-Eauclaire. Shal-type (Kv4.x) potassium channel pore blockers from scorpion venoms. Acta Physiol Sin 2015; 67 (3): 248-254 (in Chinese with English abstract).