Discovery of novel peptide neurotoxins from sea anemone species

Abstract

As primitive metazoa, sea anemones are rich in various bioactive peptide neurotoxins. These peptides have been applied to neuroscience research tools or directly developed as marine drugs. To date, more than 1100 species of sea anemones have been reported, but only 5% of the species have been used to isolate and identify sea anemone peptide neurotoxins. There is an urgent need for more systematic discovery and study of peptide neurotoxins in sea anemones. In this review, we have gathered the currently available methods from crude venom purification and gene cloning to venom multiomics, employing these techniques for discovering novel sea anemone peptide neurotoxins. In addition, the three-dimensional structures and targets of sea anemone peptide neurotoxins are summarized. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to provide a reference for the discovery, development, and utilization of sea anemone peptide neurotoxins.