Structurally conserved α‐neurotoxin genes encode functionally diverse proteins in the venom of Naja sputatrix

FEBS Letters

Jeyaseelan, Kandiah¹  Armugam, Arunmozhiarasi¹  Nair, Ramkishen¹  Poh, Siew Lay¹ 

[1] Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597

关键词: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor;    α-Neurotoxin;    Weak neurotoxin;    Co-evolution;    Accelerated evolution;    Naja sputatrix;    LNTX;    long-chain neurotoxin;    WNTX;    weak neurotoxin;    SNTX;    short-chain neurotoxin proteins;    Their respective cDNAs are designated Lntx;    Wntx and Sntx and their genes Lntx;    Wntx and Sntx;   

DOI  :  10.1016/S0014-5793(03)01039-1

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

The structure and organization of the genes encoding the long-chain neurotoxins and four other isoforms of weak neurotoxins in the venom of Naja sputatrix are reported. The genes contained three exons interrupted by two introns, a structure similar to other members of the three-finger toxin family. The proteins encoded by these genes, however, show varied affinity towards nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes showed that the weak neurotoxin gene is confined to a distinct group. We also observe that specific mutations of the gene provide the diversity in function in these toxins while maintaining a common structural scaffold. This forms the first report where the molecular basis of evolution of postsynaptic neurotoxins from an ancestral gene can be demonstrated using the same species of snake.

【 授权许可】

Unknown