title: Calitoxin, a neurotoxic peptide from the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica: amino acid sequence and electrophysiological properties.
abstract: We have isolated a new toxin, calitoxin (CLX), from the sea anemone Calliactis parasitica whose amino acid sequence differs greatly from that of other sea anemone toxins. The polypeptide chain contains 46 amino acid residues, with a molecular mass of 4886 Da and an isoelectric point at pH 5.4. The amino acid sequence determined by Edman degradation of the reduced, S-carboxymethylated polypeptide chain and tryptic and chymotryptic peptides is Ile-Glu-Cys-Lys-Cys-Glu-Gly-Asp-Ala-Pro-Asp-Leu-Ser-His-Met-Thr-Gly-Thr- Val-Tyr - Phe-Ser-Cys-Lys-Gly-Gly-Asp-Gly-Ser-Trp-Ser-Lys-Cys-Asn-Thr-Tyr-Thr-Ala- Val-Ala - Asp-Cys-Cys-His-Glu-Ala. No cysteine residues were present in the peptide. Similarly to other sea anemone toxins, calitoxin interacts, in crustacean nerve muscle preparations, with axonal and not with muscle membranes, inducing a massive release of neurotransmitter that causes a strong muscle contraction. The low homology of CLX with RP II and ATX II toxins has implications regarding the role played by particular amino acid residues.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Laboratory, Stazione Zoologica di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cariello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Santis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piccoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spagnuolo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zanetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parente
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003386:Brachyura; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003064:Cnidarian Venoms / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012615:Sea Anemones; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003064:Cnidarian Venoms; D009498:Neurotoxins; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; C060036:calitoxin