title: gamma-Conotoxin-PnVIIA, a gamma-carboxyglutamate-containing peptide agonist of neuronal pacemaker cation currents.
abstract: A novel gamma-carboxyglutamate-containing peptide, designated gamma-conotoxin-PnVIIA, is described from the venom of the molluscivorous snail Conus pennaceus. gamma PnVIIA, triggers depolarization and firing of action potential bursts in the caudodorsal neurons of Lymnaea. This effect is due to activation or enhancement of a slow inward cation current that may underly endogenous bursting activity of these neurons. The amino acid sequence of gamma PnVIIA was determined as DCTSWFGRCTVNS gamma CCSNSCDQTYC gamma-LYAFOS (where gamma is gamma-carboxyglutamate, O is trans-4-hydroxyproline), thus gamma PnVIIA belongs to the six cysteine four loop structural family of conotoxins, and is most homologous to the previously described excitatory conotoxin-TxVIIA. Interestingly, TxVIIA did not induce action potentials in Lymnaea caudodorsal neurons. gamma PnVIIA is the prototype of a new class of gamma-conotoxins that will provide tools for the study of voltage-gated pacemaker channels, which underly bursting processes in excitable systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizman Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. bmfainz@weizmann.weizmann.ac.il
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fainzilber
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lodder
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zlotkin
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kits
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Burlingame
mesh_terms: D015055:1-Carboxyglutamic Acid / Q000819:agonists*; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D020916:Conotoxins; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008195:Lymnaea; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008978:Mollusk Venoms / Q000819:agonists* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000819:agonists / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010243:Paralysis / Q000139:chemically induced; D010455:Peptides / Q000819:agonists* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D020916:Conotoxins; C059360:Conus textile toxin; D007473:Ion Channels; D008978:Mollusk Venoms; D009498:Neurotoxins; D010455:Peptides; C110698:gamma-conotoxin PnVIIA; D015055:1-Carboxyglutamic Acid