Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 6, 2064-2070, Copyright © 1986 by Society for Neuroscience
3H-batrachotoxinin-A benzoate binding to voltage-sensitive sodium channels: inhibition by the channel blockers tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin
GB Brown
The sodium channel blockers tetrodotoxin (TTX) and saxitoxin (STX) and the
channel activator batrachotoxin (BTX) produce their effects by binding to
separate and distinct sites on the channel protein. The fact that TTX- and
STX-modified sodium channels are blocked to sodium flux has precluded
drawing any direct conclusions regarding the effect of TTX/STX on BTX
binding based on electrophysiological or 22Na flux measurements.
Nevertheless, these sites have been presumed to be non- interacting. In
this study, 3H-batrachotoxinin-A benzoate (BTX-B), a tritiated congener of
BTX, has been used to provide a direct assessment of these binding
interactions. Equilibrium specific binding of 3H-BTX-B to sodium channels
in vesicular preparations of mouse brain in the presence of scorpion toxin
was measured using a filtration assay procedure. At 25 degrees C both TTX
and STX inhibit 3H-BTX-B binding in a concentration-dependent and
noncompetitive manner. This inhibition is markedly temperature-dependent,
being negligible at 37 degrees C and maximal at 18 degrees C, the lowest
temperature investigated. Scatchard analysis of BTX-B binding isotherms at
25 degrees C in the presence and absence of 1 microM TTX revealed that
inhibition is due to a 3-fold decrease in the affinity of BTX-B binding
with no change in the number of binding sites (Bmax). The concentration
dependence for TTX inhibition of both specific 3H-STX and 3H-BTX-B binding
is identical, suggesting that inhibition of 3H-BTX-B binding is due to a
direct effect of TTX/STX binding at their specific sodium channel site. The
channel blockers did not alter the binding of scorpion toxin under these
assay conditions, nor did BTX-B affect the binding of 3H- STX.(ABSTRACT
TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)