A5051488627- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Chemical Synthesis and Analysis
- Ion channel regulation and function
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Protein Structure and Dynamics
- Healthcare and Venom Research
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
- bioluminescence and chemiluminescence research
- Marine Toxins and Detection Methods
- Marine Sponges and Natural Products
- Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
University of Utah
2013-2025
Washington University in St. Louis
2017
Alan Kohn showed that two cone-snail species—Conus striatus Linnaeus, 1758, and Conus catus Hwass, 1792—hunt fish as their primary prey. In the seven decades since then, it has been established these species belong to subgenus Pionoconus Mörch, 1852, a well-defined lineage of one eight piscivorous clades. this review, an integrated multidisciplinary framework for biology is presented, based on numerous research papers published Kohn's seminal discovery. The molecular biology, phylogeny,...
Conus ateralbus is a cone snail endemic to the west side of island Sal, in Cabo Verde Archipelago off West Africa. We describe isolation and characterization first bioactive peptide from venom this species. This 30AA named conotoxin AtVIA (δ-conotoxin-like). An excitatory activity was manifested by on majority mouse lumbar dorsal root ganglion neurons. analog with conservative changes three amino acid residues at C-terminal region synthesized produced an identical effect has homology...
The turripeptide ubi3a was isolated from the venom of marine gastropod Unedogemmula bisaya, family Turridae, by bioassay-guided purification; both native and synthetic elicited prolonged tremors when injected intracranially into mice. sequence peptide, DCCOCOAGAVRCRFACC-NH2 (O = 4-hydroxyproline) follows framework III pattern for cysteines (CC–C–C–CC) in M-superfamily conopeptides. three-dimensional structure determined NMR spectroscopy indicated a disulfide connectivity that is not found...
Natural products such as conotoxins have tremendous potential tools for biomedical research and the treatment of different human diseases. Conotoxins are peptides present in venoms predatory cone snails that a rich diversity pharmacological functions. One major bottlenecks natural is rapid identification evaluation bioactive molecules. To overcome this limitation, we designed set light-induced behavioral assays zebrafish larvae to screen conotoxins. We used screening approach test several...
The cone snails (family Conidae) are the best known and most intensively studied venomous marine gastropods. However, of total biodiversity mollusks (superfamily Conoidea, >20,000 species), comprise a minor fraction. venoms family Drilliidae, highly diversified in have not previously been investigated. In this report, we provide first biochemical characterization component Drilliidae venom define gene superfamily peptides. A bioactive peptide, cdg14a, was purified from Clavus davidgilmouri...
Venomous animals have evolved diverse molecular mechanisms to incapacitate prey and defend against predators. Most venom components disrupt nervous, locomotor, cardiovascular systems or cause tissue damage. The discovery that certain fish-hunting cone snails use weaponized insulins induce hypoglycemic shock in highlights a unique example of toxins targeting glucose homeostasis. Here, we show that, addition insulins, the deadly fish hunter, Conus geographus, uses selective somatostatin...
Within the phylum Cnidaria, sea anemones (class Anthozoa) express a rich diversity of ion-channel peptide modulators with biomedical applications, but corollary discoveries from jellyfish (subphylum Medusozoa) are lacking. To bridge this gap, bioactivities previously unexplored proteinaceous and small molecular weight (~15 kDa to 5 kDa) venom components were assessed in mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG) high-content calcium-imaging assay, known as constellation pharmacology. While addition...
Abstract Mollusk-hunting (molluscivorous) cone snails belong to a monophyletic group in Conus, genus of venomous marine snails. The molluscivorous lineage evolved from ancestral worm-hunting (vermivorous) ∼18 Ma. To enable the shift lifestyle, must solve biological problems encountered when hunting other gastropods, namely: (i) preventing prey escape and (ii) overcoming formidable defense form molluscan shell, problem unique Conus. Here, we show that χ-conotoxins, peptides exclusively...