Mineev Konstantin S, Kuzmenkov Alexey I, Arseniev Alexander S, Vassilevski Alexander A
Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation.
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Moscow, Russian Federation.
Proteins. 2021 Mar 13. doi: 10.1002/prot.26074.
Old world scorpions produce an abundance of toxins called α-NaTx, which interfere with the fast inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels. Their selectivity to channels of mammals or insects depends on a part of toxin named the specificity module. We report here the spatial structure of a major and broadly active toxin MeuNaTxα-1 from the venom of Mesobuthus eupeus. Notably, its specificity module is markedly different from other α-NaTx with known 3D structure. Close inspection shows that its conformation is a result of an interplay between protein motifs such as the nest and niche, which eventually shape α-NaTx structural diversity.
旧大陆蝎子会产生大量名为α-NaTx的毒素，这些毒素会干扰电压门控钠通道的快速失活。它们对哺乳动物或昆虫通道的选择性取决于毒素的一个名为特异性模块的部分。我们在此报告来自东亚钳蝎毒液的一种主要且具有广泛活性的毒素MeuNaTxα-1的空间结构。值得注意的是，其特异性模块与其他具有已知三维结构的α-NaTx明显不同。仔细观察表明，其构象是诸如巢和龛等蛋白质基序之间相互作用的结果，最终形成了α-NaTx的结构多样性。
