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New weak toxins from the cobra venom

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Abstract

A protein with M 7485 Da containing five disulfide bonds was isolated from the venom of cobra Naja oxiana using various types of liquid chromatography. The complete amino acid sequence of the protein was determined by protein chemistry methods, which permitted us to assign it to the group of weak toxins. This is the first weak toxin isolated from the venom of N. oxiana. In a similar way, two new toxins with M 7628 and 7559 Da, which fall into the range of weak toxin masses, were isolated from the venom of the cobra N. kaouthia. The characterization of these proteins using Edman degradation and MALDI mass spectrometry has shown that one of these proteins is a novel weak toxin, and the other is the known weak toxin WTX with an oxidized methionine residue in position 9. Such a modification was detected in weak toxins for the first time. A study of the biological activity of the toxin from N. oxiana showed that, like other weak toxins, it can be bound by α7 and muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

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Abbreviations

AChR:

nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

WT:

weak toxin

TLN:

three-loop neurotoxin

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Author notes

  1. Ya. L. Polyak

    Present address: Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, Moscow, 117997, Russia

    V. G. Starkov, Ya. L. Polyak, E. V. Kryukova, V. I. Tsetlin & Yu. N. Utkin

  2. Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow oblast, 142290, Russia

    E. A. Vulfius

Authors
  1. V. G. Starkov
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  2. Ya. L. Polyak
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  3. E. A. Vulfius
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  4. E. V. Kryukova
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  5. V. I. Tsetlin
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  6. Yu. N. Utkin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu. N. Utkin.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © V.G. Starkov, Ya.L. Polyak, E.A. Vulfius, E.V. Kryukova, V.I. Tsetlin, Yu.N. Utkin, 2009, published in Bioorganicheskaya Khimiya, 2009, vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 15–24.

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Starkov, V.G., Polyak, Y.L., Vulfius, E.A. et al. New weak toxins from the cobra venom. Russ J Bioorg Chem 35, 10–18 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1068162009010026

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1068162009010026

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