Anatoxin agonistic effects

The debut of the selective AChR agonist (+)-anatoxin-a has provided a new tool for AChR physiology and pharmacology. (+)-Anatoxin not only has high affinity for the nicotinic AChR but it also has high selectivity for nicotinic over muscarinic receptors in the mammalian CNS. Recently, the use of (+)-anatoxin-a was essential to the identification of nicotinic receptors on cultured neurons (4), We are studying the features which allow it to bind with high affinity to the peripheral and central nicotinic receptors and the kinetic effects on receptor conformational... 

MacPhail, R.C., Parmer, ID., larema, K.A., and Chernoff, N. 2005. Nicotine effects on the activity of mice exposed prenatally to the nicotinic agonist anatoxin-a. Neurotoxicol Teratol 27, 593—598. 

Stolerman, I.P., Albuquerque, E.X., and Garcha, H.S. 1992. Behavioural effects of anatoxin, a potent nicotinic agonist, in rats. Neuropharmacol 31,311-314. 

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