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Partial sequence and toxic effects of granulitoxin, a neurotoxic peptide from the sea anemone Bunodosoma granulifera

1998; Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica; Volume: 31; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1590/s0100-879x1998001000015

1414-431X

Alfredo Nicodemos Cruz Santana, Ângela B. M. P. Leite, Marcelo Santucci França, Luiz G. da França, Otoni Cardoso do Vale, Ricardo B. Cunha, Carlos André Ornelas Ricart, Marcelo Valle de Sousa, Karine Maria Martins Bezerra Carvalho,

Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study

A neurotoxic peptide, granulitoxin (GRX), was isolated from the sea anemone Bunodosoma granulifera. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of GRX is AKTGILDSDGPTVAGNSLSGT and its molecular mass is 4958 Da by electrospray mass spectrometry. This sequence presents a partial degree of homology with other toxins from sea anemones such as Bunodosoma caissarum, Anthopleura fuscoviridis and Anemonia sulcata. However, important differences were found: the first six amino acids of the sequence are different, Arg-14 was replaced by Ala and no cysteine residues were present in the partial sequence, while two cysteine residues were present in the first 21 amino acids of the other toxins described above. Purified GRX injected i.p. (800 micrograms/kg) into mice produced severe neurotoxic effects such as circular movements, aggressive behavior, dyspnea, tonic-clonic convulsion and death. The 2-h LD50 of GRX was 400 +/- 83 micrograms/kg.