Final Exam Material

Question 1

Curare

Answer 1

• Alkaloid that Blocks Ach receptors
• Leads to Paralysis

Question 2

Tetanus Toxin

Answer 2

• Preferentially blocks presynaptic release of GABA
• Leads to loss of control of motor neurons (can’t prevent them from firing)

Question 3

Nicotine

Answer 3

• Alkaloid that activates Ach receptors
• Gives you a buzz

Question 4

Strychnine

Answer 4

• Alkaloid that blocks chloride channels of glycine receptors (convulsant)
• Blocking glycine causes excess electrical activity

Question 5

Protein Synthesis

Answer 5

• Required for long-term memory

Question 6

LTD

Answer 6

• AMPA receptors removed from post synaptic membrane
• Opposite mechanism of LTP

Question 7

Tetrodotoxin (TTX)

Answer 7

• Alkaloid that blocks voltage-dependent sodium channels
• Found in Alabama garter snakes, but not those in California
• Also found in puffer fish

Question 8

Picrotoxin

Answer 8

• Alkaloid that blocks GABA receptors
• Fish eat “fish berries” with picrotoxin and convulse
• Was used to amp up horses

Question 9

Xanax

Answer 9

• Facilitates GABA receptor activation

Question 10

Glutamate

Answer 10

• Most widespread excitatory neurotransmitter

Question 11

GABA

Answer 11

• Synthesized from glutamate by GAD

Question 12

Alpha-bungarotoxin

Answer 12

• Blocks (n)Ach receptors, which causes paralysis
• Made by snakes

Question 13

5 alkaloids

Answer 13

1. Strychnine
2. Nicotine
3. Curare
4. Picrotoxin
5. TTX

Question 14

Botulinium Toxin

Answer 14

• Botulinum toxin specifically cleaves these SNAREs, so prevents neurosecretory vesicles from docking/fusing with the nerve synapse plasma membrane and releasing their neurotransmitters
• Kind of just attacks everything and kills you

Question 15

Snare proteins

Answer 15

• Involved in synaptic release
• Begin with “sy”
• E.g., synaptobrevin, which is a protease that cleaves other proteins

Question 16

Metabotropic receptors

Answer 16

• Slow, low weight

1. Ach, GLU, GABA(B) (all low-weight)
2. Biogenic amines:

• TYR (ends in “ine” or “in”:
  
  • Dopamine (movement, coordination, motivation, reward)
  • Norepinephrine & Epinephrine: Stress, sleep
  • Serotonin: Well-being, sleep, appetite
• large gene fam
• channel is linked to receptor
• phosphorylation through tyrosine

Question 17

Scorpion Toxin

Answer 17

• Attacks voltage-dependent Na channels, blocking the “inactivated state” which leads to prolonged activation of action potentials
• Can ultimately lead to death

Question 18

Substance-P

Answer 18

• Peptide involved in pain
• Neurotransmitter that is broadcast to more than one post-synaptic target
• Neurotransmitter that has its action stopped by a protease

Question 19

Oxytocin

Answer 19

• Peptide involved in making love and maternal behavior

Question 20

Opiate-like peptides

Answer 20

• Sites that opiates/morphene compete with
• E.g., Enkephalin

Question 21

Angiotensin II

Answer 21

• Peptide involved in blood pressure control

Question 22

Apamin

Answer 22

• Peptide formed in bees
• Effects K+ channels (SK K+ channel) involved in sensing pain
• Causes increase in frequency of APs, leading to pain

Question 23

Conus Snail

Answer 23

• Evolved thousands of peptide toxins that can block Na, K, …channels
• Harpoons fish which stops them in their tracks

Question 24

Epilepsy

Answer 24

• Caused by a gain of function mutation that causes sodium channels to take longer to inactivate, therefore increasing activity
• Prolonged excitation of cells

Question 25

Hyperkalemia Periodic Paralysis

Answer 25

* Greater Na+ channel openings at the muscle cell resting potential * Due to excess K+ in cell?

Question 26

NaV1.7

Answer 26

* Na+ channel gene that specializes in sensory neurons that carry pain * Gain of function mutation to this gene changes threshold of APs so they occur more readily (excruciating pain) * Loss of function mutation to this gene causes an inability to feel pain

Question 27

KCNLQ family

Answer 27

* 6 members, expressed both in brain and in heart * One mutation causes LQT syndrom

Question 28

Long QT syndrome

Answer 28

* Caused by either loss-of-function or dominant-negative potassium channel mutations * Causes cardiac arrhythmia

Question 29

Benign familial neonatal convulsions

Answer 29

* Benign seizures that go away when older * Caused by mutation in gene encoding a voltage-gated potassium channel

Question 30

Multiple sclerosis

Answer 30

* Lowers length constant by decreasing membrane resistance due to autoimmune attack on myelin

Question 31

Myasthenia Gravis

Answer 31

* Autoimmune response against ionotropic Ach receptors * Leads to muscle weakness

Question 32

Generalized Epilepsy with Febrile Seizures

Answer 32

* Sodium channel transition into the inactivated conformation is slowed

Question 33

Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome

Answer 33

* Autoimmune response against pre-synaptic calcium channels

Question 34

Non-selective cation channels

Answer 34

* Ach receptor (hetero-pentameric) * Glutamate * TRP (tetrameric) * Serotonin receptor (hetero-pentameric)

Question 35

3 types of non-selective/ non-specific glutamate cation channels

Answer 35

1. AMPA (hetero-pentameric 2. Kainate (hetero-pentameric) 3. NMDA (tetramer)