Fasciculin

Venom disrupters of acetylcholine neurotransmission generally penetrate the neuromuscular junction, where they interfere with either the production or reception of acetylcholine, or the hydrolysis of acetylcholine after it has achieved its function of neurotransmission; mamba fasciculins prevent the final stage of this process by binding to acetylcholinesterase and blocking its action on acetylcholine; the result is that after the acetylcholine has transmitted the required stimulus, it continues with the stimulus after it has become inappropriate.^[2] That mechanism is in some ways similar to the effect of the so-called organophosphate nerve agents; the blockage of the acetylcholinesterase action is what causes the fasciculation that inspired the name fasciculin.

In mammalian acetylcholinesterase two conserved peripheral anionic residues form part of the enzyme where the FAS molecule docks. Insect and avian acetylcholinesterases lack the two residues in those positions, and that drastically reduces their affinity for mamba fasciculins. However, there is a significant, though reduced, toxic effect, because several basic residues in the venom protein still establish and maintain contacts with the enzyme. This is unusual in protein complementarity, in that it involves attractions between multiple charged residues, but without any salt linkage between the molecules.^[3]

See also: Bourne Y, Taylor P, Marchot P. Acetylcholinesterase inhibition by fasciculin: crystal structure of the complex. Cell. 1995 Nov 3;83(3):503-12. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(95)90128-0. PMID: 8521480.