Birtoxin is a neurotoxin from the venom of the South African Spitting scorpion (''Parabuthus transvaalicus''). By changing

sodium channel Sodium channels are integral membrane proteins that form ion channels, conducting sodium ions (Na+) through a cell's membrane. They belong to the superfamily of cation channels and can be classified according to the trigger that opens the channel ...

activation, the toxin promotes spontaneous and repetitive firing much like

pyrethroid A pyrethroid is an organic compound similar to the natural pyrethrins, which are produced by the flowers of pyrethrums (''Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium'' and ''Chrysanthemum coccineum, C. coccineum''). Pyrethroids are used as commercial and hou ...

insecticides do

Sources

Birtoxin was isolated from the venom of the South African Spitting scorpion. It is a

peptide Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. A ...

that is moderately toxic but very abundant in the venom. Other peptide toxins found in the venom include: dortoxin, a lethal peptide; bestoxin, which causes writhing in mice; and altitoxin, a highly depressant peptide.

Chemistry

Generally, peptide neurotoxins can be divided into two major families, the ‘long chain neurotoxins’ (LCN) with 60- to 70-residue range and known to contain eight

cysteine Cysteine (symbol Cys or C; ) is a semiessential proteinogenic amino acid with the formula . The thiol side chain in cysteine often participates in enzymatic reactions as a nucleophile. When present as a deprotonated catalytic residue, sometime ...

residues; and the ‘short chain neurotoxins’ (SCN) with 30 to 40 peptides with six or eight cysteine residues. Birtoxin, together with other birtoxin-like peptides including bestoxin, is 58 amino-acid residues long, close to the ‘long chain’ family but with six cysteine residues. Birtoxin is reticulated by three

disulfide In biochemistry, a disulfide (or disulphide in British English) refers to a functional group with the structure . The linkage is also called an SS-bond or sometimes a disulfide bridge and is usually derived by the coupling of two thiol groups. In ...

bridges, instead of four, compared to other LCNs . Therefore, it is considered to be the evolutionary link between ‘long chain’- and ‘short chain’- families.

Mode of action

Birtoxin affects the gating mechanism of sodium channels by binding to neurotoxin receptor site 4 of the channel, resulting in the lowering of the voltage threshold of the channel and a reduction in the current amplitude. Due to the change in the activation the sodium channel will open at smaller depolarisations. This causes increased excitability, which leads to symptoms such as convulsions, continuous urination, tremors and tachypnea (faster breathing).

Toxicity

Birtoxin only affects mammals. No effect is found on reptiles, insects or fish. In experiments performed on mice, symptoms such as convulsions, continuous urination, tremors and

tachypnea Tachypnea, also spelt tachypnoea, is a respiratory rate greater than normal, resulting in abnormally rapid and shallow breathing. In adult humans at rest, any respiratory rate of 1220 per minute is considered clinically normal, with tachypnea be ...

occurred 10 minutes after injection and increased during 30 minutes. An injection of 1 μg of birtoxin resulted in severe

neurotoxic Neurotoxicity is a form of toxicity in which a biological, chemical, or physical agent produces an adverse effect on the structure or function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system. It occurs when exposure to a substance – specificall ...

effects for 24 hours, but this dose is not lethal to mice. LD₉₉ in mice is achieved at 2 μg. An

antibody An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...

against the

N-terminus The N-terminus (also known as the amino-terminus, NH2-terminus, N-terminal end or amine-terminus) is the start of a protein or polypeptide, referring to the free amine group (-NH2) located at the end of a polypeptide. Within a peptide, the ami ...

of the birtoxin protein structure has been shown to neutralize the venom of the South African spitting scorpion, and such antibodies may be useful clinically to treat

envenomation Envenomation is the process by which venom is injected by the bite or sting of a venomous animal. Many kinds of animals, including mammals (e.g., the northern short-tailed shrew, ''Blarina brevicauda''), reptiles (e.g., the king cobra), spider ...

References

{{Toxins Neurotoxins Ion channel toxins Scorpion toxins