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Molecular Size of the Tetrodotoxin Binding Site estimated by Irradiation Inactivation

Nature New Biology volume 245, pages 122–123 (1973)Cite this article

Abstract

MUCH attention has been directed towards the solubilization and subsequent characterization of functional membrane components in excitable tissues, such as the sodium pump, acetylcholine receptor, and the sodium conduction channel. An alternative approach, which has been successfully applied to estimating the molecular size of Na-K activated ATPase1,2, uses irradiation inactivation analysis, and determines the target size of membrane components in situ in lyophilized preparations. The validity of this technique as applied to biological molecules has been established by a number of investigators1–3. Here we studied inactivation by irradiation with high energy electrons to estimate the molecular size of the tetrodotoxin (TTX) binding site in nervous tissue. TTX is a specific inhibitor of nerve conduction, and there is much evidence4 for the specific interaction of the toxin with the sodium conduction channel.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ARC Institute of Animal Physiology, Babraham, Cambridge, CB2 4AT

    S. R. LEVINSON & J. C. ELLORY

Authors
  1. S. R. LEVINSON
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  2. J. C. ELLORY
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LEVINSON, S., ELLORY, J. Molecular Size of the Tetrodotoxin Binding Site estimated by Irradiation Inactivation. Nature New Biology 245, 122–123 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio245122a0

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