title: Genomic organization of the KTX2 gene, encoding a 'short' scorpion toxin active on K+ channels.
abstract: A single intron of 87 bp, close to the region encoding the C-terminal part of the signal peptide, was found in the gene of the 'short' scorpion toxin kaliotoxin 2 of Androctonus australis acting on various types of K+ channels. Its A+T content was particularly high (up to 86%). By walking and ligation-mediated PCR, the promoter sequences of the kaliotoxin 2 gene of Androctonus australis were studied. The transcription unit of the gene is 390 bp long. Consensus sequences were identified. The genes of 'short' scorpion toxins active on K+ channels are organized similarly to those of the 'long' scorpion toxins active on Na+ channels and not like those of structurally related insect defensins, which are intronless.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biochimie, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Université de laMéditerranée, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Legros
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Bougis
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Martin-Eauclaire
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012605:Scorpions / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015221:Potassium Channels; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012604:Scorpion Venoms; C072276:kaliotoxin