Which toxin is a cone snail neurotoxin?

Which toxin is a cone snail neurotoxin?

• A. Conotoxin
• B. Botulinum toxin
• C. Saxitoxin
• D. Tetrodotoxin

Answer: (A)

Cone snails produce conotoxins, a family of peptide neurotoxins designed to disrupt neural signaling by targeting specific ion channels and receptors in the nervous system. This makes conotoxin the correct term for a cone snail neurotoxin. The other toxins listed are famous neurotoxins from different organisms—botulinum toxin from bacteria, saxitoxin from dinoflagellates, and tetrodotoxin from pufferfish—so they don’t carry the cone snail-specific naming. Conotoxins are highly diverse and can block or modulate sodium, calcium, or various receptor sites, which explains their potent effects and usefulness as research tools and therapeutic leads.

Cone snails produce conotoxins, a family of peptide neurotoxins designed to disrupt neural signaling by targeting specific ion channels and receptors in the nervous system. This makes conotoxin the correct term for a cone snail neurotoxin. The other toxins listed are famous neurotoxins from different organisms—botulinum toxin from bacteria, saxitoxin from dinoflagellates, and tetrodotoxin from pufferfish—so they don’t carry the cone snail-specific naming. Conotoxins are highly diverse and can block or modulate sodium, calcium, or various receptor sites, which explains their potent effects and usefulness as research tools and therapeutic leads.