Toxins from cone snails: properties, applications and biotechnological production.

摘要: Cone snails are marine predators that use venoms to immobilize their prey. The of these mollusks contain a cocktail peptides mainly target different voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels. Typically, conopeptides consist ten 30 amino acids but with more than 60 have also been described. Due extraordinary pharmacological properties, gained increasing interest in recent years. There several used clinical trials one peptide has received approval for the treatment pain. Accordingly, there is an need production peptides. So far, most individual synthesized using solid phase synthesis. Here, we describe at least some can be obtained prokaryotic or eukaryotic expression systems. This opens possibility biotechnological larger amounts long chain research medical applications.