Physico-chemical characterization and synthesis of neuronally active α-conotoxins

Abstract

The high specificity of α-conotoxins for different neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors makes them important probes for dissecting receptor subtype selectivity. New sequences continue to expand the diversity and utility of the pool of available α-conotoxins. Their identification and characterization depend on a suite of techniques with increasing emphasis on mass spectrometry and microscale chromatography, which have benefited from recent advances in resolution and capability. Rigorous physico-chemical analysis together with synthetic peptide chemistry is a prerequisite for detailed conformational analysis and to provide sufficient quantities of α-conotoxins for activity assessment and structure-activity relationship studies.