AlphaA-Conotoxin OIVA defines a new alphaA-conotoxin subfamily of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor inhibitors

Toxicon. 2004 Aug;44(2):207-14. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2004.05.026.

Abstract

The venoms of cone snails are rich in multiply disulfide-crosslinked peptides, the conotoxins. Conotoxins are grouped into families on the basis of shared cysteine patterns and homologous molecular targets. For example, both the kappaA- and alphaA-conotoxin families share the same Class IV Cys pattern (-CC-C-C-C-C-), but differ in their molecular targets. The kappaA-conotoxins are excitatory toxins that purportedly block potassium channels, while the alphaA-conotoxins are paralytic conotoxins that inhibit nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). In this work, we describe the isolation and characterization of a novel Conus peptide from venom milked from Hawaiian specimens of Conus obscurus. This peptide shares the Class IV Cys pattern but differs from both previously characterized alphaA- and kappaA-conotoxins in the spacing of amino acids between Cys resides. However, the peptide is similar to previously characterized alphaA-conotoxins in its paralytic effects on fish and its antagonist activity on the neuromuscular nAChR. Unexpectedly, the peptide differs in its disulfide bonding from alphaA-conotoxin PIVA. We have named this unique peptide alphaA-conotoxin OIVA, and we consider it the defining member of a subfamily of alphaA-conotoxins that we designate the alphaA(1-3)-conotoxins to identify them by their unique disulfide bonding framework. These results indicate that the alphaA-conotoxin family is both more structurally diverse and broadly distributed than previously believed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Biological Assay
  • Conotoxins / chemistry
  • Conotoxins / classification
  • Conotoxins / isolation & purification*
  • Conotoxins / pharmacology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mollusk Venoms / chemistry
  • Mollusk Venoms / isolation & purification*
  • Mollusk Venoms / pharmacology
  • Nicotinic Antagonists / chemistry
  • Nicotinic Antagonists / isolation & purification*
  • Nicotinic Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / isolation & purification
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Peptides, Cyclic / chemistry
  • Peptides, Cyclic / isolation & purification*
  • Peptides, Cyclic / pharmacology
  • Protein Conformation
  • Receptors, Nicotinic / drug effects*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Snails*

Substances

  • Conotoxins
  • Mollusk Venoms
  • Nicotinic Antagonists
  • Peptides
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • Receptors, Nicotinic
  • alphaA-conotoxin OIVA