Workshop: the use of muscarinic toxins in the study of muscarinic receptors.

One of the most interesting recent developments in the pharmacology of muscarinic receptors has been the finding of small proteins in the venoms of mamba snakes that bind with high affinity and selectivity to different subtypes of muscarinic receptors. In the workshop on muscarinic toxins, the practicalities of isolating, characterising and using these toxins as tools in the study of muscarinic receptors were discussed.