bungarotoxin

Bungarotoxins are toxins found in the venom of snakes and kraits. Bites from these animals can result in severe symptoms including bleeding or hemorrhage, paralysis and tissue damage that can result in amputation. The paralytic effects of venom are particularly dangerous as they can impair breathing. These symptoms are the result of bungarotoxin presence in the venom. In actuality, venom contains several distinct bungarotoxins, each varying in which receptors they act on and how powerful they are.

==History== Bungarotoxins are a group of closely related neurotoxic proteins of the three-finger toxin superfamily found in the venom of kraits including Bungarus multicinctus (the many-banded krait). These toxins alter neurotransmission to yield powerful paralytic effects on skeletal muscle. Venom of the many-banded krait began to be studied by Chuan-Chiung Chang and Chen-Yuan Lee of the National Taiwan University in the 1950s; however, it was not until 1963 that its components were separated and isolated. They discovered that this venom consisted of a mixture of individual toxins that act at different sites and receptors to modulate neurotransmission. Through electrophoresis the venom was found to be composed of five distinct toxins, one of which remains unnamed.