title: A novel neurotoxin from venom of the spider, Brachypelma albopilosum.
abstract: Spiders have evolved highly selective toxins for insects. There are many insecticidal neurotoxins in spider venoms. Although a large amount of work has been done to focus on neurotoxicity of spider components, little information, which is related with effects of spider toxins on tumor cell proliferation and cytotoxicity, is available for Brachypelma albopilosum venom. In this work, a novel spider neurotoxin (brachyin) was identified and characterized from venoms of the spider, Brachypelma albopilosum. Brachyin is composed of 41 amino acid residues with the sequence of CLGENVPCDKDRPNCCSRYECLEPTGYGWWYASYYCYKKRS. There are six cysteines in this sequence, which form three disulfided bridges. The serine residue at the C-terminus is amidated. Brachyin showed strong lethal effects on American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) and Tenebrio molitor (common mealbeetle). This neurotoxin also showed significant analgesic effects in mice models including abdominal writhing induced by acetic acid and formalin-induced paw licking tests. It was interesting that brachyin exerted marked inhibition on tumor cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China; Cadres Treatment Section & Thoracic Surgery Department, the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Yunhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Humanities & Social Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Guoxiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Center of Biopolymer Functional Materials of Yunnan, Yunnan University of Nationalities, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Mingwei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Center of Biopolymer Functional Materials of Yunnan, Yunnan University of Nationalities, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Hongli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China; Cadres Treatment Section & Thoracic Surgery Department, the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Center of Biopolymer Functional Materials of Yunnan, Yunnan University of Nationalities, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Minglong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Qiumin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000700:Analgesics / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007306:Insecticides; D009498:Neurotoxins; D013111:Spider Venoms