Blocking Mechanisms of Batrachotoxin-Activated Na Channels in Artificial Bilayers

Abstract

The effects of various pharmacological agents that block single batrachotoxin-activated Na channels from rat muscle can be described in terms of three modes of action that correspond to at least three different binding sites. Guanidinium toxins such as tetrodotoxin, saxitoxin, and a novel polypeptide, μ-conotoxin GIIIA, act only from the extracellular side and induce discrete blocked states that correspond to residence times of individual toxin molecules. Such toxins apparently do not deeply penetrate the channel pore since the voltage dependence of block is insensitive to toxin charge and block is not relieved b internal Na⁺. Many nonspecific organic cations, including chared anesthetics, exhibit a voltage-dependent block that is enhanced by depolarization when present on the inside of the channel. This site is probably within the pore, but binding to this site is weak, as indicated by fast blockade that often appears as lowered channel conductance. A separate class of neutral and tertiary amine anesthetics such as bezocaine and procaine induce discrete closed states when added to either side of the membrane. This blocking effect can be explained by preferential bindign to closed states of the channel and appears to be due to a modulation of channel gating.