Effects and Mechanisms of Polypeptide Neurotoxins that Act Presynaptically

This review discusses several polypeptide neurotoxins that act on nerve terminals to alter the storage and release of neurotransmitters. Table 1 lists some of these toxins and gives their potencies and molecular weights. The references given in Table 1 are other pertinent review articles, which should be consulted for descriptions of early studies of the toxins and for details of the clinical course of human patients affected by these toxins. In our discussion we exclude toxins that block propagation of nerve impulses, toxins that primarily act postsynaptically, and toxins whose pharmacology and biochemistry are insufficiently characterized to review.