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ISSN 1672-9145                                                 Acta Biochim Biophys Sin 2004, 36(10): 656–660                                                    CN 31-1940/Q


The cDNA and Genomic DNA Organization of a Novel Toxin SHT-I from Spider Ornithoctonus huwena

Peng QIAO, Xiao-Pan ZUO, Zhi-Fang CHAI, and Yong-Hua JI*

Institute of Physiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China

 

Abstract        In present study the full-length cDNA of a novel toxin from the venom gland of spider Ornithoctonus huwena, named as SHT-I, has been cloned using the strategy of rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and then the whole genomic sequence of SHT-I (Selenocosmia huwena toxin-I) was determined using sequence-specific primers synthesized based on the acquired 3' and 5' ends of SHT-I cDNA sequence. It is unexpectedly found that intron was lacking in the genomic sequence of SHT-I. The result might evoke an interesting question whether the gene code of inhibitor cystine-knot peptides from spider venom is distinct from that of those known toxic peptides of scorpion and cone snail.

 

Key words       Ornithoctonus huwena spider; cDNA; genomic DNA; peptide toxin; ICK motif

 

 

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Received: June 25, 2004        Accepted: September 10, 2004

The work was supported by the grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (1999054001), and partially the National Nature Science Foundation of China (30270428)

*Corresponding author: Tel/Fax, 86-21-54920300; E-mail, [email protected]