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The sea anemone Bunodosoma granulifera contains surprisingly efficacious and potent insect-selective toxins
Bosmans, F.; Aneiros, A.; Tytgat, J. (2002). The sea anemone Bunodosoma granulifera contains surprisingly efficacious and potent insect-selective toxins. FEBS Lett. 532(1-2): 131-134. dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0014-5793(02)03653-0
In: FEBS Letters. ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV: Amsterdam. ISSN 0014-5793; e-ISSN 1873-3468, more
Peer reviewed article  

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Keywords
    Amino acid sequence
    Aquatic organisms > Marine organisms > Aquatic animals > Marine invertebrates
    Bioactive compounds
    Biological phenomena > Evolution
    Biology > Physiology > Electrophysiology
    Cells > Sexual cells > Eggs > Oocytes
    Materials > Hazardous materials > Biological poisons
    Materials > Hazardous materials > Biological poisons > Neurotoxins
    Pesticides > Insecticides
    Toxins
    Bunodosoma granulifera (Le Sueur, 1817) [WoRMS]; Insecta [WoRMS]
    Marine/Coastal
Author keywords
    sea anemone toxin; voltage-gated sodium channel; neurotoxin;insecticide; evolution

Authors  Top 
  • Bosmans, F.
  • Aneiros, A.
  • Tytgat, J., more

Abstract
    Two sodium channel toxins, BgII and BgIII, isolated from the sea anemone Bunodosoma granulifera, have been subjected to an elaborate electrophysiological and pharmacological comparison between five different cloned sodium channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes in order to determine their efficacy, potency and selectivity. Our results reveal large differences in toxin-induced effect between the different sodium channels. These toxins possess the highest efficacy for the insect sodium channel (para). Our data also show that BgII, generally known as a neurotoxin, is especially potent on the insect sodium channel with an EC50 value of 5.5±0.5 nM. Therefore, this toxin can be used as a template for further development of new insecticides. Based on our findings, an evolutionary relationship between crustaceans and insects is also discussed.

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