Structure and selectivity of novel ω-conotoxins and conus catus that target neuronal calcium channel subtypes

Full text: ω-Conotoxins selective for N-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels have promising therapeutic applications in conditions such as pain and neurodegeneration following cerebral ischaemia. Here we report the discovery of novel conotoxins from the piscivorous snail Conus carus using 125I-GVIA binding to rat brain membrane to guide fractionation of crude venom, and cloning to identify the expressed gene products from the venom duct tissue. Four peptides were isolated and named ω-conotoxins CVIA-D (CVIA-D) on the basis of their pharmacology and structure. CVIA-D had varying extents of homology to other ω-conotoxins, with loop 4 of CVID showing significant sequence divergence. From binding studies in rat brain, the rank order of potency to displace 125I-GVIA from N-type calcium channel (CVID = GVIA=MVIIA > CVIA > CVIC = CVIB > MVIIC) was reversed at the P/Q-type calcium channel (defined by 125I-MVIIC). CVID was most selective for N-type vs P/Q-type calcium channels, being 1.5 to 2-orders of magnitude more selective than GVIA and MVIIA, respectively. CVIA-D each inhibited neurally-evoked contractions in rat vas deferens in a reversible manner, with potencies that correlated with their ability to inhibit 125I-GVIA binding. Compared with GVIA, CVID was a more potent inhibitor of central N-type calcium channels (α1,B-dexpressed in Xenopus oocytes) than of peripheral N-type calcium channels (rat vas deferens). 1H NMR studies revealed that CVID adopts a similar 3D fold to other ω-conotoxins. However, in contrast to GVIA, MVIIA or MVIIC, CVID has two hydrogen bonds that hold loops 2 and 4 proximal, a factor that may contribute to the enhanced ability of CVID to discriminate among neuronal calcium channels