Knottins display a variety of biological functions


  • ‣ Some knottins are thought to perform their action via interaction with a receptor.
  • ‣ This has led several authors to use the slightly restrictive name "Inhibitor Cystine Knot" (ICK)
  • ‣ Different activities are located on different parts of the molecules, and almost all Knottin loops have been implied in one ore more function.
  • ‣ The major known biological functions exerted by Knottins are briefly outlined below.
You can toggle between only one (default) or all function display
*one* is currently selected (pick one function in the table below)

Analgesics

Anthelmintic

Anti-ED

Antimalarial

Antimicrobials

Antitumors

Protease inhibitors

Toxins

Insecticids

Others

Anti Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

A spider toxin induces penile erection in rats

  • The spider toxin Tx2-6 was shown to induce and facilitate the ganglionic-stimulated penile erection in rats. It also displayed a potentiation effect on penile erection of animals presenting severe erectile dysfunction such as the deoxycorticosterone-acetate-salt hypertensive rats. The potentiating effect of Tx2-6 on erection seems to be mediated by relaxation of the vasculature and smooth muscle in the corpus cavernosum induced by the release of NO [Nunes et al., 2008].
  • Also note that the agouti-related and the agouti-signaling proteins act on the melanocortin system that is involved in sexual function.