Corzo G, Escoubas P
Suntory Institute for Bioorganic Research, Mishima-Gun, Shimamoto-Cho, Wakayamadai 1-1-1, Osaka 618-8503, Japan.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2003 Nov;60(11):2409-26. doi: 10.1007/s00018-003-3108-6.
Advances in mass spectrometry and peptide biochemistry coupled to modern methods in electrophysiology have permitted the isolation and identification of numerous novel peptide toxins from animal venoms in recent years. These advances have also opened up the field of spider venom research, previously unexplored due to methodological limitations. Many peptide toxins from spider venoms share structural features, amino acid composition and consensus sequences that allow them to interact with related classes of cellular receptors. They have become increasingly useful agents for the study of voltage-sensitive and ligand-gated ion channels and the discrimination of their cellular subtypes. Spider peptide toxins have also been recognized as useful agents for their antimicrobial properties and the study of pore formation in cell membranes. Spider peptide toxins with nanomolar affinities for their receptors are thus promising pharmacological tools for understanding the physiological role of ion channels and as leads for the development of novel therapeutic agents and strategies for ion channel-related diseases. Their high insecticidal potency can also make them useful probes for the discovery of novel insecticide targets in the insect nervous system or for the development of genetically engineered microbial pesticides.
近年来，质谱分析和肽生物化学的进展与现代电生理学方法相结合，使得从动物毒液中分离和鉴定出了许多新型肽毒素。这些进展还开辟了蜘蛛毒液研究领域，该领域此前因方法学限制而未被探索。许多蜘蛛毒液中的肽毒素具有共同的结构特征、氨基酸组成和共有序列，这使得它们能够与相关类别的细胞受体相互作用。它们已越来越成为研究电压敏感性和配体门控离子通道及其细胞亚型鉴别的有用试剂。蜘蛛肽毒素因其抗菌特性以及对细胞膜中孔形成的研究也被认为是有用的试剂。因此，对其受体具有纳摩尔亲和力的蜘蛛肽毒素是理解离子通道生理作用的有前景的药理学工具，并且可作为开发新型治疗剂以及治疗离子通道相关疾病策略的先导。它们的高杀虫效力还可使其成为在昆虫神经系统中发现新型杀虫剂靶标或开发基因工程微生物杀虫剂的有用探针。
