title: Glycine-rich conotoxins from the Virgiconus clade.
abstract: Cone snails in the Virgiconus clade prey on marine worms. Here, we identify six related conotoxins in the O1-superfamily from three species in this clade, Conus virgo, Conus terebra and Conus kintoki. One of these peptides, vi6a, was directly purified from the venom of C. virgo by following its activity using calcium imaging of dissociated mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. The purified peptide was biochemically characterized, synthesized and tested for activity in mice. Hyperactivity was observed upon both intraperitoneal and intracranial injection of the peptide. The effect of the synthetic peptide on DRG neurons was identical to that of the native peptide. Using the vi6a sequence, five other homologs were identified. These peptides define a glycine-rich subgroup of the O1-superfamily from the Virgiconus clade, with biological activity in mice.
authors: Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake, UT 84112, USA.
authors: Samuel S
authors: SS
authors: Espino
authors: Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake, UT 84112, USA; Department of Chemistry, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, USA.
authors: Taleen
authors: T
authors: Dilanyan
authors: Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake, UT 84112, USA. Electronic address: imperial@biology.utah.edu.
authors: Julita S
authors: JS
authors: Imperial
authors: Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Marina, Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro 76230, México.
authors: Manuel B
authors: MB
authors: Aguilar
authors: Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake, UT 84112, USA.
authors: Russell W
authors: RW
authors: Teichert
authors: Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake, UT 84112, USA.
authors: Pradip
authors: P
authors: Bandyopadhyay
authors: Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake, UT 84112, USA.
authors: Baldomero M
authors: BM
authors: Olivera
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D020916:Conotoxins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000187:drug effects*; D005998:Glycine / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D008974:Mollusca / Q000502:physiology*; D008978:Mollusk Venoms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D020916:Conotoxins; D008978:Mollusk Venoms; D005998:Glycine
keywords: Conotoxins; O1 superfamily; Virgiconus