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Abstract
We have isolated delta-conotoxin EVIA (delta-EVIA), a conopeptide in Conus ermineus venom that contains 32 amino acid residues and a six-cysteine/four-loop framework similar to that of previously described omega-, delta-, microO-, and kappa-conotoxins. However, it displays low sequence homology with the latter conotoxins. delta-EVIA inhibits Na+ channel inactivation with unique tissue specificity upon binding to receptor site 6 of neuronal Na+ channels. Using amphibian myelinated axons and spinal neurons, we showed that delta-EVIA increases the duration of action potentials by inhibiting Na+ channel inactivation. delta-EVIA considerably enhanced nerve terminal excitability and synaptic efficacy at the frog neuromuscular junction but did not affect directly elicited muscle action potentials. The neuronally selective property of delta-EVIA was confirmed by showing that a fluorescent derivative of delta-EVIA labeled motor nerve endings but not skeletal muscle fibers. In a heterologous expression system, delta-EVIA inhibited inactivation of rat neuronal Na+ channel subtypes (rNaV1.2a, rNaV1.3, and rNaV1.6) but did not affect rat skeletal (rNaV1.4) and human cardiac muscle (hNaV1.5) Na+ channel subtypes. delta-EVIA, in the range of concentrations used, is the first conotoxin found to affect neuronal Na+ channels without acting on Na+ channels of skeletal and cardiac muscle. Therefore, it is a unique tool for discriminating voltage-sensitive Na+ channel subtypes and for studying the distribution and modulation mechanisms of neuronal Na+ channels, and it may serve as a lead to design new drugs adapted to treat diseases characterized by defective nerve conduction.
Highlights
Defective nerve conduction is frequently associated with neurological diseases, with those causing axonal demyelinization [1, 2]
In contrast to other ␦-conotoxins, ␦-EVIA possesses an aspartic acid at positions 2 and 31, a tyrosine at position 7, a glycine at position 8, a small side chain at position 24, and a longer loop composed of 9 amino acid residues, which, is observed in conotoxins with unrelated functions; i.e. -conotoxin PnVIA [28] and O-conotoxins [29, 30]
We have shown that C. ermineus venom contains the toxin ␦-EVIA, which consists of 32 amino acid residues and has the same six-cysteine/four-loop framework as previously characterized ␦, ⌷, , and -conotoxins (Table I). ␦-EVIA possesses an unusual specificity for neuronal Naϩ channels
Summary
Defective nerve conduction is frequently associated with neurological diseases, with those causing axonal demyelinization [1, 2]. In a heterologous expression system, ␦-EVIA inhibited inactivation of rat neuronal Na؉ channel subtypes (rNaV1.2a, rNaV1.3, and rNaV1.6) but did not affect rat skeletal (rNaV1.4) and human cardiac muscle (hNaV1.5) Na؉ channel subtypes. ␦-EVIA, in the range of concentrations used, is the first conotoxin found to affect neuronal Na؉ channels without acting on Na؉ channels of skeletal and cardiac muscle.
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