S
IPR018072

Conotoxin, alpha-type, conserved site

InterPro entry
Short nameConotoxin_a-typ_CS

Description

Conotoxin consists of several alpha conotoxin precursor proteins from a number of Conus species. Cone snail toxins, conotoxins, are small peptides with disulphide connectivity, that target ion-channels or G-protein coupled receptors. Based on the number and pattern of disulphide bonds and biological activities, conotoxins can be classified into several families
[1]
. Alpha-conotoxins are neurotoxins from the venom of fish-hunting cone snails that block nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs)
[2]
. Omega, delta and kappa families of conotoxins have a knottin or inhibitor cystine knot scaffold. The knottin scaffold is a very special disulphide through disulphide knot, in which the III-VI disulphide bond crosses the macrocycle formed by two other disulphide bonds (I-IV and II-V) and the interconnecting backbone segments, where I-VI indicates the six cysteine residues starting from the N terminus.

References

1.Cone venom--from accidental stings to deliberate injection. McIntosh JM, Jones RM. Toxicon 39, 1447-51, (2001). View articlePMID: 11478951

2.Phylogenetic specificity of cholinergic ligands: alpha-conotoxin SI. Zafaralla GC, Ramilo C, Gray WR, Karlstrom R, Olivera BM, Cruz LJ. Biochemistry 27, 7102-5, (1988). View articlePMID: 3196703

Further reading

3. lambda-conotoxins, a new family of conotoxins with unique disulfide pattern and protein folding. Isolation and characterization from the venom of Conus marmoreus. Balaji RA, Ohtake A, Sato K, Gopalakrishnakone P, Kini RM, Seow KT, Bay BH. J. Biol. Chem. 275, 39516-22, (2000). View articlePMID: 10988292

4. Conus geographus toxins that discriminate between neuronal and muscle sodium channels. Cruz LJ, Gray WR, Olivera BM, Zeikus RD, Kerr L, Yoshikami D, Moczydlowski E. J. Biol. Chem. 260, 9280-8, (1985). View articlePMID: 2410412

5. Novel alpha- and omega-conotoxins from Conus striatus venom. Ramilo CA, Zafaralla GC, Nadasdi L, Hammerland LG, Yoshikami D, Gray WR, Kristipati R, Ramachandran J, Miljanich G, Olivera BM. Biochemistry 31, 9919-26, (1992). View articlePMID: 1390774

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