Figure 10.

All six Micrurus species examined produced a close homolog of MitTxβ, the nociceptive toxin β subunit from Micrurus tener, including M. paraensis and M. l. carvalhoi, which apparently do not produce the α-subunit. The South American Micrurus sequences are basically identical, and differ from that of MitTxβ at only six positions (indicated by triangles). The three M. tener PLA₂ sequences had 21-residue signal peptides while MitTxβ and putative homologs had 24-residue signal peptides. 21-residue signal peptides had the sequence MNPAH LLVLA AVCVS LLGASS. MitTxβ and putative homologs had a three-residue N-terminal extension, MDK.