Isolation and characterization of three novel Gla-containing Conus marmoreus venom peptides, one with a novel cysteine pattern

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Jul 9;319(4):1081-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.05.088.

Abstract

One defining characteristic of Conus venom peptides is the high frequency of posttranslational modifications found. We report the discovery and initial characterization of three novel gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)-containing conotoxins, Gla-MrII, Gla-MrIII, and Gla-MrIV, isolated from the venom of the mollusc-hunting cone snail Conus marmoreus. Peptide Gla-MrII, a 50 amino acid residue peptide, carries eight cysteine residues arranged in a novel cysteine pattern, and five gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues. The monoisotopic molecular mass was determined by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to 5860.23 Da, consistent with the peptide having the cysteine residues disulphide-bonded and having a free acid C-terminus. Peptides Gla-MrIII and Gla-MrIV each contain two gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues and share little sequence similarity to previously identified conotoxins. Both peptides contain four cysteine residues that are positioned in the linear sequence in a manner reminiscent of conotoxins belonging to cysteine scaffold superfamily T (scaffold T-1). Determination of the monoisotopic molecular masses revealed that Gla-MrIII is amidated at its C-terminus while Gla-MrIV has a free C-terminal acid.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • 1-Carboxyglutamic Acid / chemistry*
  • 1-Carboxyglutamic Acid / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Conotoxins / chemistry*
  • Conotoxins / genetics*
  • Cysteine*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Mollusk Venoms / chemistry*
  • Mollusk Venoms / genetics*
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Peptides / genetics*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Snails
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Substances

  • Conotoxins
  • Mollusk Venoms
  • Peptides
  • conotoxin GlaMrII, Conus marmoreus
  • conotoxin GlaMrIII, Conus marmoreus
  • conotoxin GlaMrIV, Conus marmoreus
  • 1-Carboxyglutamic Acid
  • Cysteine