Neurotransmitter release from preganglionic parasympathetic neurons is resistant to inhibition by selective antagonists of L-, N-, P/Q-, R-, and T-type calcium channels. In this study, the effects of different -conotoxins from genus Conus were investigated on current flow-through cloned voltage-sensitive calcium channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes and nerve-evoked transmitter release from the intact preganglionic cholinergic nerves innervating the rat submandibular ganglia. Our results indicate that -conotoxin CVID from Conus catus inhibits a pharmacologically distinct voltage-sensitive calcium channel involved in neurotransmitter release, whereas -conotoxin MVIIA had no effect. Venom of the predatory marine gastropods of the genus Conus (cone snails) contain a unique array of peptides whose pharmaceutical potential remains largely unexploited (1). These peptides have been classified based on their pharmacological target and structure (2, 3). One important class, the -conotoxins, utilizes a four-loop framework to selectively inhibit "Ntype" voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCCs) 1 found in the central and peripheral nervous systems of vertebrates (4).Neurotransmitter release from preganglionic parasympathetic neurons has been found to be resistant to inhibition by a range of selective calcium channel antagonists of L-, N-, P/Q-, R-, and T-type calcium channels (5-8). A recently discovered -conotoxin from Conus catus (CVID) is highly selective for N-type over P/Q-type VSCCs (9) and shows potent analgesic activity in rats (10). In this study, we investigated the effects of CVID on autonomic neurotransmission using conventional intracellular microelectrode recording techniques. -Conotoxin CVID was found to be a potent inhibitor of neurally evoked transmitter release from the intact preganglionic cholinergic nerves innervating the rat submandibular ganglia, whereas -conotoxin MVIIA had no effect.The orientation and nature of the residues in loop 2 of -conotoxins have been shown to be crucial for selective binding to the N-type VSCC (11-15). Since the only sequence difference in loop 2 between CVID and MVIIA is at position 10, we investigated the importance of this position for -conotoxin structure and ability to block neurotransmitter release from preganglionic parasympathetic neurons. The inhibition of preganglionic transmitter release was favored in -conotoxins with a Lys at position 10.