Three defensin-like peptides (DLPs) were isolated from platypus venom and sequenced. One of these peptides, DLP-1, was synthesized chemically and its three-dimensional structure was determined using NMR spectroscopy. The main structural elements of this 42-residue peptide were an anti-parallel beta-sheet comprising residues 15-18 and 37-40 and a small 3(10) helix spanning residues 10-12. The ov...

Gigantoxin I, isolated from sea anemone Stichodactyla gigantea, was previously described as the first epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like toxin from natural origin. In this study, we discovered the interaction between the transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype I (TRPV1) channels and gigantoxin I. The TRPV1 channel is a non-selective cation channel involved in pain sensation and is descri...

Chromoproteins (CPs) have unique colors and can be used in biological applications. In this work, a novel blue CP with a maximum absorption peak (λmax) at 608 nm was identified from the carpet anemone Stichodactyla gigantea (sgBP). In vivo expression of sgBP in zebrafish would change the appearance of the fishes to have a blue color, indicating the potential biomarker function. To enhance the c...

When 21 species of sea anemones were screened for Kv1 potassium channel toxins by competitive inhibition of the binding of (125)I-α-dendrotoxin to rat synaptosomal membranes, 11 species (two species of Actiniidae, one species of Hormathiidae, five species of Stichodactylidae and three species of Thalassianthidae) were found to be positive. Furthermore, full-length cDNAs encoding type 1 potassiu...

Hybrid molecules obtained through conjugation of monoclonal antibodies and toxins constitute an approach under exploration to generate potential agents for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. A frequently employed toxic component in the construction of such immunotoxins is ricin, a plant toxin which inhibits protein synthesis at ribosomal level and so requires to be internalized by the ...

Sticholysin II (StnII) is a pore-forming protein (PFP) produced by the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus. We found out that StnII exists in a monomeric soluble state but forms tetramers in the presence of a lipidic interface. Both structures have been independently determined at 1.7 A and 18 A resolution, respectively, by using X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy of two-dimensional...

Among the methods used to screen transgenic microalgae, antibiotics selection has raised environmental and food safety concerns, while the observation of fluorescence proteins could be influenced by the endogenous fluorescence of host chloroplasts. As an alternative, this study isolated the purple chromoprotein (CP) from Stichodacyla haddoni (shCP). A plasmid in which shCP cDNA is driven by a h...