Skip to main content
PMC home page
Biochemical Journal logoLink to Biochemical Journal
. 1982 Nov 1;207(2):215–223. doi: 10.1042/bj2070215

Amino acid sequences of two novel long-chain neurotoxins from the venom of the sea snake Laticauda colubrina.

H S Kim, N Tamiya
PMCID: PMC1153851  PMID: 7159381

Abstract

From the venom of a population of the sea snake Laticauda colubrina from the Solomon Islands, a neurotoxic component, Laticauda colubrina a (toxin Lc a), was isolated in 16.6% (A280) yield. Similarly, from the venom of a population of L. colubrina from the Philippines, a neurotoxic component, Laticauda colubrina b (toxin Lc b), was obtained in 10.0% (A280) yield. The LD50 values of these toxins were 0.12 microgram/g body wt. on intramuscular injection in mice. Toxins Lc a and Lc b were each composed of molecules containing 69 amino acid residues with eight half-cystine residues. The complete amino acid sequences of these two toxins were elucidated. Toxins Lc a and Lc b are different from each other at five positions of their sequences, namely at positions 31 (Phe/Ser), 32 (Leu/Ile), 33 (Lys/Arg), 50 (Pro/Arg) and 53 (Asp/His) (residues in parentheses give the residues in toxins Lc a and Lc b respectively). Toxins Lc a and Lc b have a novel structure in that they have only four disulphide bridges, although the whole amino acid sequences are homologous to those of other known long-chain neurotoxins. It is remarkable that toxins Lc a and Lc b are not coexistent at the detection error of 6% of the other toxin. Populations of Laticauda colubrina from the Solomon Islands and from the Philippines have either toxin Lc a or toxin Lc b and not both of them.

Full text

PDF
221

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Banks B. E., Miledi R., Shipolini R. A. The primary sequences and neuromuscular effects of three neurotoxic polypeptides from the venom of Dendroaspis viridis. Eur J Biochem. 1974 Jun 15;45(2):457–468. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1974.tb03570.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bechis G., Granier C., Van Rietschoten J., Jover E., Rochat H., Miranda F. Purification of six neurotoxins from the venom of Dendroaspis viridis. Primary structure of two long toxins. Eur J Biochem. 1976 Sep 15;68(2):445–456. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1976.tb10832.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Botes D. P. Snake venom toxins. The amino acid sequences of toxins and from Naja nivea venom and the disulfide bonds of toxin . J Biol Chem. 1971 Dec 10;246(23):7383–7391. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Botes D. P. Snake venom toxins. The amino acid sequences of toxins b and d from Naja melanoleuca venom. J Biol Chem. 1972 May 10;247(9):2866–2871. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Grishin E. V., Sukhikh A. P., Slobodyan L. N., Ovchinnikov YuA, Sorokin V. M. Amino acid sequence of neurotoxin I from Naja naja oxiana venom. FEBS Lett. 1974 Sep 1;45(1):118–121. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(74)80825-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Halpert J., Fohlman J., Eaker D. Amino acid sequence of a postsynaptic neurotoxin from the venom of the Australian tiger snake Notechis scutatus scutatus. Biochimie. 1979;61(5-6):719–723. doi: 10.1016/s0300-9084(79)80172-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Joubert F. J. Snake venom toxins the amino acid sequences of two toxins from Ophiophagus hannah (King cobra) venom. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Jul 12;317(1):85–98. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Joubert F., Taljaard N. Purification, some properties and the primary structures of three reduced and S-carboxymethylated toxins (CM-5, CM-6 and CM-10a) from Naje haje haje (Egyptian cobra) venom. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1978 Nov 20;537(1):1–8. doi: 10.1016/0005-2795(78)90597-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Karlsson E., Eaker D., Ponterius G. Modification of amino groups in Naja naja neurotoxins and the preparation of radioactive derivatives. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Feb 29;257(2):235–248. doi: 10.1016/0005-2795(72)90275-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kim H. S., Tamiya N. Isolation, properties and amino acid sequence of a long-chain neurotoxin, Acanthophis antarcticus b, from the venom of an Australian snake (the common death adder, Acanthophis antarcticus). Biochem J. 1981 Mar 1;193(3):899–906. doi: 10.1042/bj1930899. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kim H. S., Tamiya N. The amino acid sequence and position of the free thiol group of a short-chain neurotoxin from common-death-adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) venom. Biochem J. 1981 Oct 1;199(1):211–218. doi: 10.1042/bj1990211. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kopeyan C., Miranda F., Rochat H. Amino-acid sequence of toxin III of Naja haje. Eur J Biochem. 1975 Oct 1;58(1):117–122. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1975.tb02355.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Maeda N., Tamiya N. Correction of partial amino acid sequence of erabutoxins. Biochem J. 1977 Oct 1;167(1):289–291. doi: 10.1042/bj1670289. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Maeda N., Tamiya N. The primary structure of the toxin Laticauda semifasciata III, a weak and reversibly acting neurotoxin from the venom of a sea snake, Laticauda semifasciata. Biochem J. 1974 Aug;141(2):389–400. doi: 10.1042/bj1410389. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Maeda N., Tamiya N. Three neurotoxins from the venom of a sea snake Astrotia stokesii, including two long-chain neurotoxic proteins with amidated C-termini. Biochem J. 1978 Nov 1;175(2):507–517. doi: 10.1042/bj1750507. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mann K. G., Fish W. W. Protein polypeptide chain molecular weights by gel chromatography in guanidinium chloride. Methods Enzymol. 1972;26:28–42. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(72)26004-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mebs D., Narita K., Iwanaga S., Samejima Y., Lee C. Y. Amino acid sequence of -bungarotoxin from the venom of Bungarus multicinctus. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1971 Aug 6;44(3):711–716. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(71)80141-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Mebs D., Narita K., Iwanaga S., Samejima Y., Lee C. Y. Purification, properties and amino acid sequence of -bungarotoxin from the venom of Bungarus multicinctus. Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem. 1972 Feb;353(2):243–262. doi: 10.1515/bchm2.1972.353.1.243. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Nakai K., Sasaki T., Hayashi K. Amino acid sequence of toxin A from the venom of the Indian cobra (Naja naja). Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1971 Aug 20;44(4):893–897. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(71)90795-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Nickerson P. A., Kumar V. Electron microscopic studies of acetylcholinesterase from Bungarus fasciatus venom. Toxicon. 1974 Jan;12(1):83–84. doi: 10.1016/0041-0101(74)90103-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Ota M., Hayashi K. Localization of the five disulfide bridges in toxin B from the venom of the Indian cobra (Naja naja). Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1973 Nov 16;55(2):431–438. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(73)91105-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rydén L., Gabel D., Eaker D. A model of the three-dimensional structure of snake venom neurotoxins based on chemical evidence. Int J Pept Protein Res. 1973;5(4):261–273. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3011.1973.tb03460.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sato S., Tamiya N. The amino acid sequences of erabutoxins, neurotoxic proteins of sea-snake (Laticauda semifasciata) venom. Biochem J. 1971 May;122(4):453–461. doi: 10.1042/bj1220453. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Shipolini R. A., Bailey G. S., Banks B. E. The separation of neurotoxin from the venom of Naja melanoleuca and the primary sequence determination. Eur J Biochem. 1974 Feb 15;42(1):203–211. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1974.tb03330.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Strydom D. J. Protease inhibitors as snake venom toxins. Nat New Biol. 1973 May 16;243(124):88–89. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Strydom D. J. Snake venom toxins. The amino acid sequences of two toxins from Dendroaspis polylepis polylepis (black mamba) venom. J Biol Chem. 1972 Jun 25;247(12):4029–4042. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Takeda M., Yoshida H., Tamiya N. Biosynthesis of erabutoxins in the sea snake, Laticauda semif asciata. Toxicon. 1974 Dec;12(6):633–641. doi: 10.1016/0041-0101(74)90198-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Tamiya N., Abe H. The isolation, properties and amino acid sequence of erabutoxin c, a minor neurotoxic component of the venom of a sea snake Katicauda semifasciata. Biochem J. 1972 Nov;130(2):547–555. doi: 10.1042/bj1300547. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Tamiya N. Erabutoxins a, b and c in sea snake Laticauda semifasciata venom. Toxicon. 1973 Jan;11(1):95–97. doi: 10.1016/0041-0101(73)90158-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biochemical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biochemical Society

RESOURCES