河豚毒素, also called Fugu poison, maculotoxin, spheroidine and TTX, is a neurotoxin that selectively targets thevoltage-gated sodium channelof the nerve cells membrane.

一个ccording to the CDC, the main route of exposure to tetrodotoxin is through ingestion of certain species of fish, shellfish, octopi or amphibians. By targeting the neurons, it triggers partial to total muscle paralysis, which in some cases can be fatal.

Figure 1:Molecular structure of Tetradotoxin

河豚毒素binds to the neurotoxin receptor site 1 of the α subunit of the钠离子通道, connecting to the pore loops and blocking the ion transfer.

被挡住了voltage-gated sodium channel, tetrodotoxin prevents the depolarization of the membrane and the propagation of anaction potential, thus effectively preventing the transmission of information through the neuron.