title: Purification and partial characterization of a novel neurotoxic protein from eggs of black widow spiders (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus).
abstract: Up to now, there have been a few reports on the toxic components purified from black widow spider (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) eggs. In the present study, a novel neurotoxic protein was purified from the eggs by gel filtration combined with ion-exchange chromatography. Its molecular weight was 23.752 kDa determined by electrospray mass spectrometry. The protein could block the neuromuscular transmission in mouse-isolated phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparations completely in a reversible manner and activate tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium current in rat dorsal root ganglion cells. The N-terminal sequence of the protein was identified by the Edman degradation to be N-S-I-A-D-D-R-Y-R-W-P-G-Y-P-G-A-G-L-I-P-Y-I-I-D-S-. When the sequence was used to search against protein database with a sequence query in Mascot engine there was no matched sequence or protein whereas the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis indicated that no significant similarity was found. These results demonstrated that the protein (named Latroeggtoxin-I) is a novel neurotoxic protein purified from the eggs of black widow spiders.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of Education Committee, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yizhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jirong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tianyao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Weijun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Zhigui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Xianchun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Songping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D001740:Black Widow Spider / Q000737:chemistry*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents; D009498:Neurotoxins
keywords: Black Widow Spider; Characterization; Egg; Neurotoxic Protein; Purification