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Updated: Sep 3, 2026

Vibrodissociation of Neurons from Rodent Brain Slices to Study Synaptic Transmission and Image Presynaptic Terminals
Published on: May 25, 2011
Transmitter release and presynaptic Ca2+ currents blocked by the spider toxin omega-Aga-IVA
1Institute of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abstract:
Mammalian neuromuscular transmission is resistant to L and N type calcium channel blockers but very sensitive to a low molecular weight funnel web spider venom toxin, FTX, which selectively blocks P type calcium channels. To further characterize the calcium channels involved in neuromuscular transmission we studied the effect of omega Agatoxin (omega-Aga-IVA) a polypeptide P type channel blocker from the same spider venom. We show that omega-Aga-IVA is a potent and irreversible inhibitor of the presynaptic Ca2+ currents and of acetylcholine release induced by electrical stimulation or by K+ depolarization. This provides further evidences that transmitter release at the mammalian neuromuscular junction is mediated by P type Ca2+ channels.
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