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Conotoxins and the posttranslational modification of secreted gene products

Conotoxins and the posttranslational modification of secreted gene products The venoms of predatory cone snails (genus Conus) have yielded a complex library of about 50–100,000 bioactive peptides, each believed to have a specific physiological target (although peptides from different species may overlap in their target specificity). Conus has evolved the equivalent of a drug development strategy that combines the accelerated evolution of toxin sequences with an unprecedented degree of posttranslational modification. Some Conus venom peptide families are the most highly posttranslationally modified classes of gene products known. We review the variety and complexity of posttranslational modifications documented in Conus peptides so far, and explore the potential of Conus venom peptides as a model system for a more general understanding of which secreted gene products may have modified amino acids. Although the database of modified conotoxins is growing rapidly, there are far more questions raised than answers provided about possible mechanisms and functions of posttranslational modifications in Conus. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences Springer Journals

Conotoxins and the posttranslational modification of secreted gene products

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References (63)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2005 by Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel
Subject
Life Sciences; Life Sciences, general; Biomedicine general; Biochemistry, general; Cell Biology
ISSN
1420-682X
eISSN
1420-9071
DOI
10.1007/s00018-005-5283-0
pmid
16314929
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The venoms of predatory cone snails (genus Conus) have yielded a complex library of about 50–100,000 bioactive peptides, each believed to have a specific physiological target (although peptides from different species may overlap in their target specificity). Conus has evolved the equivalent of a drug development strategy that combines the accelerated evolution of toxin sequences with an unprecedented degree of posttranslational modification. Some Conus venom peptide families are the most highly posttranslationally modified classes of gene products known. We review the variety and complexity of posttranslational modifications documented in Conus peptides so far, and explore the potential of Conus venom peptides as a model system for a more general understanding of which secreted gene products may have modified amino acids. Although the database of modified conotoxins is growing rapidly, there are far more questions raised than answers provided about possible mechanisms and functions of posttranslational modifications in Conus.

Journal

Cellular and Molecular Life SciencesSpringer Journals

Published: Nov 28, 2005

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