Amino-acid sequence of a coelenterate toxin: toxin II from Anemonia sulcata

Abstract

Toxin II from Anemonia sulcata, the main component of the sea anemone venom, consists of 47 amino acid residues which are interconnected by three disulfide bridges. The S-aminoethylated polypeptide was coupled to activated glass beads and sequenced to position 33 by automated solid-phase Edman degradation. Blanks arising from anchor points and the rest of the sequence were determined from tryptic peptides of the [14C]carboxymethylated toxin. Toxin II shows no significant homologies with other known sequences of neurotoxins or cardiotoxins. It might constitute a new class of polypeptide toxins.