Novel conopeptides in a form of disulfide-crosslinked dimer

Peptides. 2010 Jun;31(6):1001-6. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2010.03.010. Epub 2010 Mar 20.

Abstract

In our present work, seven conotoxins and conopeptides were cloned from four cone snail species based on the M-superfamily signal peptides. Among them, two conopeptides, Vt3.1 and Vt3.2, showed unusual sequence characteristics. Both of them contained two cysteines that are separated by just one non-cysteine residue. In vitro, the chemically synthesized Vt3.1 formed dimers with different intermolecular disulfide linkages. Only the dimer with crossed disulfides showed bioactivity when injected into the intraventricular region of mice brains. Therefore, Vt3.1 and Vt3.2 represent a new group of conopeptides that form disulfide-crosslinked dimers in vitro and probably in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Conotoxins / chemical synthesis
  • Conotoxins / chemistry*
  • Conotoxins / pharmacology
  • Conus Snail
  • Disulfides / chemistry*
  • Injections, Intraventricular
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Multimerization*

Substances

  • Conotoxins
  • Disulfides

Associated data

  • GENBANK/GU784862