Sea anemone venom is known to contain toxins that are active on voltage-sensitive Na؉ channels, as well as on delayed rectifier K ؉ channels belonging to the Kv1 family. This report describes the properties of a new set of peptides from Anemonia sulcata that act as blockers of a specific member of the Kv3 potassium channel family. These toxins, blood depressing substance (BDS)-I and BDS-II, are 43 amino acids long and differ at only two positions. They share no sequence homologies with other K ؉ channel toxins from sea anemones, such as AsKS, AsKC, ShK, or BgK. In COS-transfected cells, the Kv3.4 current was inhibited in a reversible manner by BDS-I, with an IC 50 value of 47 nM. This inhibition is specific because BDS-I failed to block other K ؉ channels in the Kv1, Kv2, Kv3, and Kv4 subfamilies. Inward rectifier K ؉ channels are also insensitive to BDS-I. BDS-I and BDS-II share the same binding site on brain synaptic membranes, with K 0.5 values of 12 and 19 nM, respectively. We observed that BDS-I and BDS-II have some sequence homologies with other sea anemone Na ؉ channels toxins, such as AsI, AsII, and AxI. However, they had a weak effect on tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na ؉ channels in neuroblastoma cells and no effect on Na ؉ channels in cardiac and skeletal muscle cells. BDS-I and BDS-II are the first specific blockers identified so far for the rapidly inactivating Kv3.4 channel.

Potassium channels have an essential role in repolarization phases of action potentials and in the fine regulation of the resting potential. Molecular cloning has recently led to the identification of a large number (over 15) of genes for voltagesensitive, non inward-rectifier, K ϩ (Kv) channels (1, 2) which, when expressed in Xenopus oocytes, generate a variety of K ϩ channel activities with different kinetics, voltage dependences, conductances, and regulation properties. Surprisingly, only a relatively small number of toxins active on these channels has yet been discovered (3, 4). They are MCD peptide from bee venom (5, 6), charybdotoxin and analogs from different scorpion species (7-14), ␤-bungarotoxin (15, 16), and dendrotoxins from mamba venoms (3,5,(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22).These different toxins only block the expression of four of the cloned Kv channels (Kv1.1, Kv1.2, and Kv1.6 for MCD peptide and dendrotoxin, Kv1.1, Kv1.2, Kv1.3, and Kv1.6 for charybdotoxin) (reviewed in Ref. 23). Binding studies using radioiodinated derivatives of these toxins have been essential for the identification, purification, and determination of the subunit structure (6, 24 -26) of these Kv channels. These toxins have also been important for the first brain localizations of Kv channels (16,27) and are particularly interesting inducers of long term potentiation (28).Sea anemones produce toxins with which they paralyze their prey. They are particularly important as sources of toxins active on voltage-dependent Na ϩ channel which have been essential tools for studying the structure, the mechanism, and the diversity of this channel type (29 -38).This paper reports the isolation, structure, and properties of a series of new toxins from Anemonia sulcata which behave as blockers of Kv channels. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES Materials-Trypsin, the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (BPTI),1 and N ␣ -benzoyl-DL-arginine p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) were obtained from Sigma. Sephadex G-25, Sephadex G-50, SP Sephadex C-25 were obtained from Pharmacia, Fractogel TSK HW-50 (F), Fractogel EMD SO 3 -650 (M), and RP18 Lichrocart were from Merck. For HPLC columns, TSK SP 5PW was from Toyosoda. Ultrasphere ODS was from Beckman, Hypersil BDS was from SFCC Shandon, and Alltima was from Alltech. HPLC purifications were performed with a Waters system.Purification of Anemonia Sulcata Peptides-The first steps of this purification were performed with slight modifications of a method previously described for the isolation of Na ϩ channel toxins of A. sulcata (39). In this procedure 12 g of the crude sea anemone toxin (Ref. 39; Fig. 2B1) was dissolved in 120 ml of NaCl 1 M and regelfiltered in two parts on a Sephadex G-50 medium column (7 ϫ 140 cm) equilibrated in 1 M NaCl. The crab paralyzing fractions of these gel filtrations were combined, dialyzed in a Visking Dialysis tube (molecular weight cutoff 12,000 -14,000) for 5 h, concentrated at reduced pressure, and desalted on a Sephadex G-25 column (7 ϫ 70 cm) equilibrated with 0.3 M acetic acid. After a concentration at red...

A new peptide, APETx1, which specifically inhibits human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG) channels, was purified from venom of the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima. APETx1 is a 42-amino acid peptide cross-linked by three disulfide bridges and shares 54% homology with BDS-I, another sea anemone K ϩ channel inhibitor. Although they differ in their specific targets, circular dichroism spectra and molecular modeling indicate that APETx1 and BDS-I have a common molecular scaffold and belong to the same structural family of K ϩ channel blocking peptides. APETx1 inhibits HERG currents in a heterologous system with an IC 50 value of 34 nM by modifying the voltage dependence of the channel gating. Central injections in mice failed to induce any neurotoxic symptoms. APETx1, which has no sequence homologies with scorpion toxins acting on HERG, defines a new structural group of HERG gating modifiers isolated from a sea anemone.

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Page 1 of 22A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t Abstract Sea anemone venom is a known source of interesting bioactive compounds, including peptide toxins which are invaluable tools for studying structure and function of voltage-gated potassium channels. APEKTx1 is a novel peptide isolated from the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima, containing 63 amino acids cross-linked by 3 disulfide bridges. Sequence alignment reveals that APEKTx1 is a new member of the type 2 sea anemone peptides targeting voltage-gated potassium channels (K V 's), which also include the kalicludines from Anemonia sulcata. Similar to the kalicludines, APEKTx1 shares structural homology with both the basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), a very potent Kunitz-type protease inhibitor, and dendrotoxins which are powerful blockers of voltage-gated potassium channels. In this study, APEKTx1 has been subjected to a screening on a wide range of 23 ion channels expressed in Xenopus leavis oocytes: 13 cloned voltage-gated potassium channels (K V 1.1-K V 1.6, K V 1.1 triple mutant, K V 2.1, K V 3.1, K V 4.2, K V 4.3, hERG, the insect channel Shaker IR), 2 cloned hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotidesensitive cation non-selective channels (HCN1 and HCN2) and 8 cloned voltage-gated sodium channels (Na V 1.2-Na V 1.8 and the insect channel DmNa V 1). Our data shows that APEKTx1 selectively blocks K V 1.1 channels in a very potent manner with an IC 50 value of 0.9 nM. Furthermore, we compared the trypsin inhibitory activity of this toxin with BPTI. APEKTx1 inhibits trypsin with a dissociation constant of 124 nM. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that APEKTx1 has the unique feature to combine the dual functionality of a potent and selective blocker of K V 1.1 channels with that of a competitive inhibitor of trypsin.Keywords Anthopleura elegantissima · K V channel inhibitor · sea anemone toxin · protease inhibitor ·

APETx3, a novel peptide isolated from the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima, is a naturally occurring mutant from APETx1, only differing by a Thr to Pro substitution at position 3. APETx1 is believed to be a selective modulator of human ether-á-go-go related gene (hERG) potassium channels with a K(d) of 34 nM. In this study, APETx1, 2, and 3 have been subjected to an electrophysiological screening on a wide range of 24 ion channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes: 10 cloned voltage-gated sodium channels (Na(V) 1.2-Na(V)1.8, the insect channels DmNa(V)1, BgNa(V)1-1a, and the arachnid channel VdNa(V)1) and 14 cloned voltage-gated potassium channels (K(V)1.1-K(V)1.6, K(V)2.1, K(V)3.1, K(V)4.2, K(V)4.3, K(V)7.2, K(V)7.4, hERG, and the insect channel Shaker IR). Surprisingly, the Thr3Pro substitution results in a complete abolishment of APETx3 modulation on hERG channels and provides this toxin the ability to become a potent (EC(50) 276 nM) modulator of voltage-gated sodium channels (Na(V)s) because it slows down the inactivation of mammalian and insect Na(V) channels. Our study also shows that the homologous toxins APETx1 and APETx2 display promiscuous properties since they are also capable of recognizing Na(V) channels with IC(50) values of 31 nM and 114 nM, respectively, causing an inhibition of the sodium conductance without affecting the inactivation. Our results provide new insights in key residues that allow these sea anemone toxins to recognize distinct ion channels with similar potency but with different modulatory effects. Furthermore, we describe for the first time the target promiscuity of a family of sea anemone toxins thus far believed to be highly selective.

The three-dimensional solution structure of the antihypertensive and antiviral protein BDS-I from the sea anemone Anemonia sulcata has been determined on the basis of 489 interproton and 24 hydrogen-bonding distance restraints supplemented by 23 phi backbone and 21 chi 1 side-chain torsion angle restraints derived from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. A total of 42 structures is calculated by a hybrid metric matrix distance geometry-dynamical simulated annealing approach. Both the backbone and side-chain atom positions are well defined. The average atomic rms difference between the 42 individual SA structures and the mean structure obtained by averaging their coordinates is 0.67 +/- 0.12 A for the backbone atoms and 0.90 +/- 0.17 A for all atoms. The core of the protein is formed by a triple-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet composed of residues 14-16 (strand 1), 30-34 (strand 2), and 37-41 (strand 3) with an additional mini-antiparallel beta-sheet at the N-terminus (residues 6-9). The first and second strands of the triple-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet are connected by a long exposed loop (residues 17-30). A number of side-chain interactions are discussed in light of the structure.

The sequential resonance assignment of the 1H NMR spectrum of the antihypertensive and antiviral protein BDS-I from the sea anemone Anemonia sulcata is presented. This is carried out with two-dimensional NMR techniques to identify through-bond and through-space (less than 5 A) connectivities. Added spectral complexity arises from the fact that the sample is an approximately 1:1 mixture of two BDS-I isoproteins, (Leu-18)-BDS-I and (Phe-18)-BDS-I. Complete assignments, however, are obtained, largely due to the increased resolution and sensitivity afforded at 600 MHz. In addition, the stereospecific assignment of a large number of beta-methylene protons is achieved from an analysis of the pattern of 3J alpha beta coupling constants and the relative magnitudes of intraresidue NOEs involving the NH, C alpha H, and C beta H protons. Regular secondary structure elements are deduced from a qualitative interpretation of the nuclear Overhauser enhancement, 3JHN alpha coupling constant, and amide NH exchange data. A triple-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet is found to be related to that found in partially homologous sea anemone polypeptide toxins.

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