Structural and functional features of noxiustoxin: a K+ channel blocker.

Binding of [125I]-Noxiustoxin to rat brain synaptosome membranes and displacement with synthetic peptides corresponding to the amino acid sequence of Noxiustoxin, show that the N-terminal segment of this toxin is implicated in the recognition of brain K(+)-channels. Cleavage of NTX with cyanogen bromide, endopeptidase V8 from Staphylococcus aureus and endopeptidase Lys-C support these findings. On the contrary, a synthetic C-terminal tetradecapeptide of charybodotoxin (ChTX), shows that in this K(+)-channel blocker, the C-terminal region, rather than the N-terminal is capable of displacing 125[I]-NTX binding to brain membranes.