title: Physico-chemical characterization and synthesis of neuronally active alpha-conotoxins.
abstract: The high specificity of alpha-conotoxins for different neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors makes them important probes for dissecting receptor subtype selectivity. New sequences continue to expand the diversity and utility of the pool of available alpha-conotoxins. Their identification and characterization depend on a suite of techniques with increasing emphasis on mass spectrometry and microscale chromatography, which have benefited from recent advances in resolution and capability. Rigorous physico-chemical analysis together with synthetic peptide chemistry is a prerequisite for detailed conformational analysis and to provide sufficient quantities of alpha-conotoxins for activity assessment and structure-activity relationship studies.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Marion L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Loughnan
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Alewood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020916:Conotoxins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004220:Disulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D005810:Multigene Family; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D011487:Protein Conformation; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020916:Conotoxins; D004220:Disulfides; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic