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Updated: Jul 28, 2026

Levator Auris Longus Preparation for Examination of Mammalian Neuromuscular Transmission Under Voltage Clamp Conditions
Published on: May 5, 2018
Snake venoms and the neuromuscular junction
Robert L Lewis1, Ludwig Gutmann
1Department of Neurology, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505,USA.
Abstract:
There are approximately 420 venomous species of snakes living on the earth. Their venoms, each unique, can affect multiple organ systems. The venoms have a predilection for the peripheral nervous system where the neuromuscular junction is a favorite target. Those venoms affecting the release of acetylcholine from the presynaptic membrane are called beta-neurotoxins and those affecting the postsynaptic membrane are called alpha-neurotoxins. alpha-Bungarotoxin has been used in quantitative studies of acetylcholine receptor density and turnover and for the assay of antibodies directed against the acetylcholine receptor. A unique feature of timber rattlesnake venom is its ability to cause clinical myokymia. This likely results from a blockade of voltage gated K+ antibodies.
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