Chemical synthesis, structural and functional characterisation of noxiustoxin, a powerful blocker of lymphocyte voltage-dependent K+ channels

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1995 Aug 24;213(3):901-7. doi: 10.1006/bbrc.1995.2214.

Abstract

Two forms of the Centrudoides noxius scorpion noxiustoxin, containing an amidated and an acid C-terminus, were synthesized on a solid support by using Fmoc-chemistry and 2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (HBTU) coupling. Comparison of the two synthetic forms with the native toxin by tryptic mapping and CD spectroscopy shows that noxiustoxin possesses an amidated C-terminus and the same fold as all short scorpion toxins. Patch-clamp assays on B lymphocytes demonstrate that noxiustoxin inhibits the voltage-dependent K+ channels with 2 nM affinity, but does not affect the Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels. This toxin, because of its high affinity and specificity for voltage-gated K+ channel, may provide a powerful tool in the investigation of the role(s) of these channels in the T and B lymphocyte activation and proliferation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / drug effects*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Ion Channel Gating
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Mapping
  • Potassium Channel Blockers*
  • Scorpion Venoms / chemical synthesis*
  • Scorpion Venoms / chemistry
  • Scorpion Venoms / pharmacology
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Potassium Channel Blockers
  • Scorpion Venoms
  • noxiustoxin