Tetrodotoxin: From Poison to Powerful Tool
Tetrodotoxin: From Poison to Powerful Tool
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河豚毒素：从毒药到强大的工具
DOI：
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发表时间：
2015
影响因子：
1
通讯作者：
J. Blankenship
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
J. Blankenship
The history of tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a revealing lesson in the means by which modern biomedical researchers bring their skills to bear on the solution of a serious health hazard. More than this, an account of the study of tetrodotoxin illustrates how application of the scientific method transformed this compound from a menacing poison to a very powerful analytical tool, providing unique insights into biophysical and neurophysiological phenomena. Kao [1] earlier provided a detailed review of the history and actions of TTX, and more recently Fuhrman [2], Dettbarn [3], Gage [4] and Evans [5] have reviewed aspects of the mechanisms of action of this remarkable compound. My discussion, in addition to presenting a brief synopsis of the general history of tetrodotoxin as a marine poison, will concentrate on the use of TTX as a modern research tool in unraveling three major problems: (a) the nature of the sodium channel in excitable membranes, (b)the development of the quantal theory of synaptic transmission, and (c)the evolution of excitatory-current channels in vertebrate muscle.
