What is "alpha-bungarotoxin"

α-Bungarotoxin (α-BTX) is one of the bungarotoxins, components of the venom of the elapid snake Taiwanese banded krait ( Bungarus multicinctus). It is a type of α-neurotoxin, a neurotoxic protein that is known to bind competitively and in a relatively irreversible manner to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor found at the neuromuscular junction, causing paralysis, respiratory failure and death in the victim. It has also been shown to play an antagonistic role in the binding of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in the brain, and as such has numerous applications in neuroscience research.