Amino acid sequence of .kappa.-flavitoxin: establishment of a new family of snake venom neurotoxins

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Abstract
The complete amino acid sequence of .kappa.-flavitoxin, a neurotoxin isolated from the venom of Bungarus flaviceps, has been determined by automated Edman analysis of the intact protein and of peptides derived from digests with trypsin and chymotrypsin. .kappa.-Flavitoxin consists of a single 66-residue polypeptide chain which is completely devoid of methionine. The amino acid sequence of .kappa.-flavitoxin demonstrates that although the toxin is related to the .alpha.-neurotoxin family, it displays a much higher degree of homology with .kappa.-bungarotoxin. The conserved structural features of the .kappa.-neurotoxins and their pharmacological profiles, which are distinct from those of all known .alpha.-neurotoxins, provide evidence of a new, structurally and functionally unique family of snake venom neurotoxins.

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