Snakebite is classified by the WHO as a neglected tropical disease. Envenoming is a
significant public health problem in tropical and subtropical regions. Neurotoxicity is a key …

Although many aspects of the physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms remain
unknown, recent advances in our knowledge suggest that the CREC proteins are promising …

Snake presynaptic phospholipase A2 neurotoxins (SPANs) paralyze the neuromuscular
junction (NMJ). Upon intoxication, the NMJ enlarges and has a reduced content of synaptic …

Snake presynaptic neurotoxins with phospholipase A 2 activity are potent inducers of
paralysis through inhibition of the neuromuscular junction. These neurotoxins were recently …

SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion factor attachment protein receptors) are
ubiquitous proteins that direct vesicular trafficking and exocytosis. In neurons, SNAREs act …

Botulinum neurotoxins produced by anaerobic bacteria of the genus Clostridium are the
most toxic proteins known, with mouse LD50 values in the 1–5 ng/kg range, and are solely …

An important group of toxins, whose action at the molecular level is still a matter of debate, is
secreted phospholipases A2 (sPLA2s) endowed with presynaptic or β-neurotoxicity. The …

Abstract β-neurotoxins are enzymes, secreted phospholipases A 2, that inhibit
neurotransmission in neuromuscular synapses by poisoning the motoneuron. They were …

At early stages of differentiation neurons already contain many of the components necessary
for synaptic transmission. However, in order to establish fully functional synapses, both the …

Toxins that alter neurotransmitter release from nerve terminals are of considerable scientific
and clinical importance. Many advances were recently made in the understanding of their …