AROMATIC AMINO-ACID RESIDUE-CONTAINING SODIUM-CHANNEL LIGANDS COMPRISING PEPTIDE ANALOGS OF MU-CONOTOXIN GIIIA, METHODS FOR PRODUCING AND UTILIZING THE SAME, AND SYSTEMS RELATING THERETO FOR THE DETECTION OF SODIUM CHANNEL LIGANDS INCLUDING SAXITOXIN AND OTHER PARALYTIC SHELLFISH TOXINS

摘要

The invention provides: sodium-channel ligands each comprising peptide analogs of mu-conotoxin GIIIA (e.g., wherein tyrosine replaces glutamine) and at least one aromatic amino-acid residue (e.g. tyrosine or an iodinated derivative thereof,) said ligands exemplified by nonradioactive species (e.g. containing iodinated tyrosine derivatives, which may be isotopically labeled with 125I); methods of making said ligands; methods for detecting sodium-channel ligands (e.g. saxitoxin [STX] and other paralytic shellfish toxins produced by harmful algal blooms such as red tide) in a fluid sample via a receptor binding assay using as probes sodium-channel ligands each comprising at least one peptide analog of mu-conotoxin GIIIA and at least one aromatic amino-acid residue, said probes competing with sodium-channel ligands of the sample for binding to one or more receptors; testing (e.g. field detection) systems comprising said probes, for detecting sodium-channel ligands; and use of said probes in methods for detecting sodium-channel ligands.