title: Cloning of cDNAS encoding neurotoxic peptides from the spider Phoneutria nigriventer.
abstract: A cDNA library made from venom glands of the spider Phoneutria nigriventer was constructed and used to clone neurotoxic peptides. A cDNA of about 360 nucleotides encoding the precursor for the toxin Tx2-1 active on mammals has been isolated. The deduced amino acid sequence for the mature polypeptide confirms the polypeptide sequence previously published. In addition, two new putative toxins called Pn2-1A and Pn2-5A have been characterized and their complete amino acid sequence show 92% similarity to Tx2-1 and 94% similarity to Tx2-5 respectively. The cDNAs revealed that the precursors contain signal peptides characterized by a very hydrophobic core and a propeptide interposed between the signal sequence and the peptide toxin.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalapothakis
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Penaforte
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Beirão
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Romano-Silva
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: V F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Prado
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry*; D015723:Gene Library; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000737:chemistry*; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000737:chemistry; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000235:genetics*; D013112:Spiders
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009498:Neurotoxins; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013111:Spider Venoms