A Novel Spider Peptide that Affects the Voltage Gated Potassium Channel Kv1.5

Abstract

Spider venoms contain various peptide toxins that modify ion channel currents, mainly of excitable insect cells. Consequently, scientific research on spider venoms has revealed a broad range of peptide toxins with different pharmacological properties, even for mammalian species. The human Kv1.5 voltage gated potassium channel is a key contributor to the atrial action potential. Its mutations have been linked to hereditary forms of atrial fibrillation. In this work, thirty animal venoms were screened against hKv1.5, a potential target for atrial fibrillation therapy.