Solid-phase synthesis and biological evaluation of Joro spider toxin-4 from Nephila clavata

J Nat Prod. 2011 Mar 25;74(3):483-6. doi: 10.1021/np100746w. Epub 2010 Dec 28.

Abstract

Polyamine toxins from orb weaver spiders are attractive pharmacological tools particularly for studies of ionotropic glutamate (iGlu) receptors in the brain. These polyamine toxins are biosynthesized in a combinatorial manner, providing a plethora of related, but structurally complex toxins to be exploited in biological studies. Here, we have used solid-phase synthetic methodology for the efficient synthesis of Joro spider toxin-4 (JSTX-4) (1) from Nephila clavata, providing sufficient amounts of the toxin for biological evaluation at iGlu receptor subtypes using electrophysiology. Biological evaluation revealed that JSTX-4 inhibits iGlu receptors only in high μM concentrations, thereby being substantially less potent than structurally related polyamine toxins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Indoleacetic Acids / chemistry
  • Indoleacetic Acids / isolation & purification
  • Indoleacetic Acids / pharmacology
  • Molecular Structure
  • Oocytes / drug effects
  • Polyamines / chemistry
  • Polyamines / isolation & purification*
  • Polyamines / pharmacology*
  • Receptors, Glutamate / drug effects*
  • Spider Venoms / chemistry*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Xenopus laevis

Substances

  • Indoleacetic Acids
  • JSTX spider toxin
  • JSTX-4 spider toxin
  • Polyamines
  • Receptors, Glutamate
  • Spider Venoms
  • argiotoxin-636