A NOVEL PEPTIDE MODULATOR OF THE HUMAN CHANNEL NAV1.5 FROM LATRODECTUS TREDECIMGUTTATUS SPIDER VENOM

Spider venom contains a wide repertoire of pharmacologically active compounds, and in the case of some spider species bite, toxins from spider venom can play a fatal role for humans as well as other organisms. Among all the spiders, one could say the bite of Latrodectus tredecimguttatus, known as Black Widow spider, is very dangerous and can even lead to tragic consequences. Especially, voltage-gated sodium channels are responsible for propagating action potentials in excitable cells. NaV1.5 plays a crucial role in the human cardiac muscle, where it enhances the influx of sodium ions via the cell membrane, causing the fast depolarization phase of the cardiac action potential. It is also an important therapeutic target for heart disorders. Various venom-derived peptides have been observed as potential modulators of sodium channels, and these biologically active peptides are an abundant source for pharmacological tools.