%0 Journal Article
%T New Conotoxin SO-3 Targeting N-type Voltage-Sensitive Calcium Channels
%A Lei Wen
%A Sheng Yang
%A Wenxia Zhou
%A Yongxiang Zhang
%A Peitang Huang
%J Marine Drugs
%D 2006
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/md403215
%X Selective blockers of the N-type voltage-sensitive calcium (CaV) channels are useful in the management of severe chronic pain. Here, the structure and function characteristics of a novel N-type CaV channel blocker, SO-3, are reviewed. SO-3 is a 25-amino acid conopeptide originally derived from the venom of Conus striatus, and contains the same 4-loop, 6-cysteine framework (C-C-CC-C-C) as O-superfamily conotoxins. The synthetic SO-3 has high analgesic activity similar to ¦Ø-conotoxin MVIIA (MVIIA), a selective N-type CaV channel blocker approved in the USA and Europe for the alleviation of persistent pain states. In electrophysiological studies, SO-3 shows more selectivity towards the N-type CaV channels than MVIIA. The dissimilarity between SO-3 and MVIIA in the primary and tertiary structures is further discussed in an attempt to illustrate the difference in selectivity of SO-3 and MVIIA towards N-type CaV channels.
%K ¦Ø-conotoxins
%K SO-3
%K MVIIA
%K voltage-sensitive calcium channels
%K N-type calcium channel blockers
%K pain
%U http://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/4/3/215