Tetrodotoxin 2011

Dear Colleagues,

Toxins, and their actions on target molecules, provide insight into predator/prey interactions, co-evolutionary arms races, molecular properties, and structure/function relationships. Toxins also hold promise for therapeutic interventions and serve as a template for rational drug design. Tetrodotoxin is a ubiquitous toxin with highly specific actions. Tetrodotoxin’s ability to block voltage-gated sodium channels has been a fruitful area of research for many years and has led to a number of insights from the molecular level through to the grand scale of evolution. It even has epicurean significance, sometimes with lethal results. Tetrodotoxin has been used as a tool to map the structure and the biophysical properties of voltage-gated sodium channels, and is routinely used to differentiate between sodium channel orthologs.

This special issue of the journal Marine Drugs focuses on tetrodotoxin and seeks to emphasize the importance of the toxin as a research tool, as a potential therapeutic agent, and as a key for understanding animal behavior and natural selection. It is my honor to serve as Guest Editor for this special issue, and to invite scientists to report recent advances on the full spectrum of research questions associated with tetrodotoxin. I eagerly anticipate working with you towards a successful special issue of Marine Drugs dedicated to this important toxin.

Prof. Dr. Peter Ruben
Guest Editor