Characterization of a Family of Scorpion Toxins Modulating Ca2+-Activated Cl− Current in Vascular Myocytes

Jean-Luc Morel (1) , Nathalie Mokrzycki (2) , Guy Lippens (3) , Hervé Drobecq (4, 5) , Pierre Sautière (6) , Michel Hugues (6)

1 INCIA - Institut de Neurosciences cognitives et intégratives d'Aquitaine
2 Institut Pasteur de Lille
3 TBI - Toulouse Biotechnology Institute
4 CIIL - Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille - INSERM U 1019 - UMR 9017 - UMR 8204
5 CHRU Lille - Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire [CHU Lille]
6 Chercheur indépendant

The pharmacology of calcium-activated chloride current is not well developed. Peptides from scorpion venom present potent pharmacological actions on ionic conductance used to characterize the function of channels but can also be helpful to develop organic pharmacological tools. Using electrophysiological recording coupled with calcium measurement, we tested the potent effect of peptides extracted from Leuirus quinquestratus quinquestratus venom on the calcium-activated chloride current expressed in smooth muscle cells freshly dissociated from rat portal veins. We identified one peptide which selectively inhibited the chloride conductance without effects on either calcium signaling or calcium and potassium currents expressed in this cell type. The synthetic peptide had the same affinity, but the chemical modification of the amino acid sequence altered the efficiency to inhibit the calcium-activated chloride conductance

Mots clés: calcium-activated chloride channel; scorpion venom; vascular smooth muscle; animal toxins

Domaines: Toxicologie; Pharmacologie

Jean-Luc Morel, Nathalie Mokrzycki, Guy Lippens, Hervé Drobecq, Pierre Sautière, et al.. Characterization of a Family of Scorpion Toxins Modulating Ca2+-Activated Cl− Current in Vascular Myocytes. Toxins, 2022, 14 (11), pp.780. ⟨10.3390/toxins14110780⟩. ⟨hal-03864126⟩