Ammodytoxin A (AtxA) is a presynaptically neurotoxic (β-neurotoxic) secreted
phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) from the venom of the nose-horned viper (Vipera
ammodytes ammodytes). The molecular mechanism of action of β-neurotoxins is
not yet fully understood. Effects of this toxin include swelling of mitochondria
and loss of mitochondrial structural integrity. It remains unclear, however, what
is the role of enzymatic activity of AtxA in the neurotoxic process and how
AtxA translocates into the cell and mitochondria. To study these processes we
prepared in this work several molecular-biological tools. Using the methods of
site-directed mutagenesis, protein expression in E. coli and in vitro renaturation
we have succesfully isolated three recombinant proteins: AtxA wild type,
AtxA(D49S) and AtxA(D49S/N79C). We have demonstrated that their
molecular masses, N-terminal amino acid sequences and enzymatic activity were
exactly as expected. By the means of heterologous competition of 125I-AtxC
binding to calmodulin (CaM) we have additionally confirmed that the
recombinant proteins were correctly refolded and, that the mutations D49S and
N79C did not significantly affect the interaction between recombinant proteins
and Atx-binding protein CaM.
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