Specific Amino Acid Residues in the Three Loops of Snake Cytotoxins Determine Their Membrane Activity and Provide a Rationale for a New Classification of These Toxins
Peter V. Dubovskii,
Yuri N. Utkin
Abstract:Cytotoxins (CTs) are three-finger membrane-active toxins present mainly in cobra venom. Our analysis of the available CT amino acid sequences, literature data on their membrane activity, and conformational equilibria in aqueous solution and detergent micelles allowed us to identify specific amino acid residues which interfere with CT incorporation into membranes. They include Pro9, Ser28, and Asn/Asp45 within the N-terminal, central, and C-terminal loops, respectively. There is a hierarchy in the effect of the… Show more
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