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Neuromuscular Junction And Blockade

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The site of chemical communication between a motor neuron and a muscle fiber is called the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). The end of the motor neuron at the NMJ divides into a cluster of synaptic end bulbs. The cytoplasm of these bulbs consists of synaptic vesicles enclosing acetylcholine molecules, the principal neurotransmitter released at the NMJ. The region opposite the synaptic bulb that ends in the muscle fiber is called the motor end plate, which has acetylcholine receptors. Within the...

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Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Loading a Calcium Dye into Frog Nerve Endings Through the Nerve Stump: Calcium Transient Registration in the Frog Neuromuscular Junction

Loading a Calcium Dye into Frog Nerve Endings Through the Nerve Stump: Calcium Transient Registration in the Frog Neuromuscular Junction

Published on: July 8, 2017

Frontoxins, three-finger toxins from Micrurus frontalis venom, decrease miniature endplate potential amplitude at

K G Moreira¹, M V Prates, F A C Andrade

¹Universidade de Brasília - Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal, Brasília-DF, Brazil.

Toxicon : Official Journal of the International Society on Toxinology

|March 25, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Six new Frontoxins (FTx) from Brazilian coral snake venom were sequenced. These toxins, similar to alpha-neurotoxins, block nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, explaining snakebite neurotoxicity.

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Registration of Calcium Transients in Mouse Neuromuscular Junction with High Temporal Resolution using Confocal Microscopy

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Published on: December 1, 2021

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Toxicology
Neuroscience

Background:

Brazilian coral snake (Micrurus frontalis) venom causes neurotoxicity.
Limited M. frontalis venom availability has hindered neurotoxin sequencing.

Purpose of the Study:

To isolate, purify, and sequence novel neurotoxins from M. frontalis venom.
To characterize the structure and function of these new toxins.

Main Methods:

Isolation of toxins using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC).
Mass determination via MALDI-TOF and ESI ion-trap mass spectrometry.
Amino acid sequencing using Edman degradation and de novo sequencing.

Main Results:

Six new three-finger like toxins, named Frontoxin (FTx) I-VI, were identified.
FTx II, III, IV, and V were fully sequenced.
FTx I, II, III, and VI resemble short-chain alpha-neurotoxins; FTx IV and V resemble long-chain alpha-neurotoxins.
FTx II, III, and IV reduced miniature endplate potential amplitudes in frog neuromuscular junctions.

Conclusions:

Frontoxins (FTx) are novel neurotoxins from M. frontalis venom.
These toxins likely block nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, contributing to envenomation neurotoxicity.