title: Non-conventional toxins from Elapid venoms.
abstract: Non-conventional toxins constitute a poorly characterized class of three-finger toxins isolated exclusively from Elapidae venoms. These toxins are monomers of 62-68 amino acid residues and contain five disulfide bridges. However, unlike alpha/kappa-neurotoxins and kappa-neurotoxins which have the fifth disulfide bridge in their middle loop (loop II), the fifth disulfide bridge in non-conventional toxins is located in loop I (N-terminus loop). Overall, non-conventional toxins share approximately 28-42% identity with other three-finger toxins including alpha-neurotoxins, alpha/kappa-neurotoxins and kappa-neurotoxins. Recent structural studies have revealed that non-conventional toxins also display the typical three-finger motif. Non-conventional toxins are typically characterized by a lower order of toxicity (LD(50) approximately 5-80 mg/kg) in contrast to prototype alpha-neurotoxins (LD(50) approximately 0.04-0.3 mg/kg) and hence they are also referred to as 'weak toxins'. Further, it is generally assumed that non-conventional toxins target muscle (alpha(2)beta gamma delta) receptors with low affinities several orders of magnitude lower than alpha-neurotoxins and alpha/kappa-neurotoxins. However, it is now known that some non-conventional toxins also antagonize neuronal alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Hence, non-conventional toxins are not a functionally homogeneous group and other, yet unknown, molecular targets for this class of snake venom toxins may exist. Non-conventional toxins may therefore be a useful source of ligands with novel biological activity targeting the plethora of neuronal nicotinic receptors as well as other physiological processes.
authors.affiliation: Venom and Toxin Research Programme, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nirthanan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gopalakrishnakone
authors.forename: M C E
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gwee
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Khoo
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kini
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004546:Elapid Venoms; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D014118:Toxins, Biological