[2] It possesses three intra-molecular disulphide bonds (S-S), leading to a highly stabilized conformation.
TmTx belongs to the short scorpion toxin superfamily and the potassium channel inhibitor family.
[3] Adhering to the nomenclature of Tytgat et al.,[4] potassium toxins can be divided into four subgroups: alpha, beta, gamma and kappa.
On the other hand, TmTx does not seem to inhibit [125I] apamin binding to synaptic membranes in the rat brain or ionomycin-induced 86Rb+ fluxes in C6 cells in vitro.
Upon wash, a complete reversal of the block occurred, suggesting that the binding of the toxin to the channel is not very strong.
Injection of the venom of H. tamulus in rats induces hyperventilatory and hypertensive responses [6][7] and in humans.