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Conotoxins
A conotoxin is one of a group of Neurotoxicity, neurotoxic peptides isolated from the venom of the marine cone snail, genus ''Conus''. Conotoxins, which are peptides consisting of 10 to 30 amino acid residues, typically have one or more disulfide bonds. Conotoxins have a variety of mechanisms of actions, most of which have not been determined. However, it appears that many of these peptides modulate the activity of ion channels. Over the last few decades conotoxins have been the subject of pharmacological interest. The Median lethal dose, LD50 of conotoxin ranges from 5-25 μg/kg. Hypervariability Conotoxins are hypervariable even within the same species. They do not act within a body where they are produced (endogenously) but act on other organisms. Therefore, conotoxin genes experience less selection against mutations (like gene duplication and nonsynonymous substitution), and mutations remain in the genome longer, allowing more time for potentially beneficial novel fu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orientations Of Proteins In Membranes Database
Orientations of Proteins in Membranes (OPM) database provides spatial positions of membrane protein structures with respect to the lipid bilayer. Positions of the proteins are calculated using an implicit solvation model of the lipid bilayer. The results of calculations were verified against experimental studies of spatial arrangement of transmembrane and peripheral proteins in membranes. Proteins structures are taken from the Protein Data Bank. OPM also provides structural classification of membrane-associated proteins into families and superfamilies, membrane topology, quaternary structure of proteins in membrane-bound state, and the type of a destination membrane for each protein. The coordinate files with calculated membrane boundaries are downloadable. The site allows visualization of protein structures with membrane boundary planes through Jmol. The database was widely used in experimental and theoretical studies of membrane-associated proteins. However, structures o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |