Abstract: The present invention provides polypeptides and their variants and derivatives which modulate GABAA receptor function at nanomolar quantities by binding to the ?+/?? subunit interface, as well as methods of making and using the same. The inventive peptides are useful for the study of neurological disease and function and can have therapeutic applications.

Abstract: The present invention provides isoformes from a peptide family belonging to South American scorpion Tityus serrulatus that acts as hypotensive agents by potentiating Bradykinin and, therefore, can be used as anti-hypertensive drugs. A peptide was firstly isolated from Tityus serrulatus venom and showed a strong and long-lasted hypotensive activity when tested in rats. This peptide was first named TsHpt-I (Tityus serrulatus Hypotensin-I). Also, three more highly similar isoformes were identified and revealed a peptide family with very close primary structure. They were named TsHpt-II, TsHpt-III and TsHpt-IV.