The paper reviews the impact of natural cholinotoxin research on the recent knowledge of brain cholinergic neurotransmission, which represents the biological background for learning and memory processes as well as for various psychiatric disorders. Several natural cholinotoxins helped to analyze cholinergic receptor functions on molecular level; others served as models for the synthesis of agents with perspective use in psychopharmacology.

Keywords: Natural cholinotoxins; toxicology; psychopharmacology