Betzel C., et al. (1991) The refined crystal structure of alpha-cobratoxin from Naja naja siamensis at 2.4-A resolution, The JBC, PMID: 1939183

The crystal structure of the “long” alpha-neurotoxin alpha-cobratoxin was refined to an R-factor of 19.5% using 3271 x-ray data to 2.4-A resolution. The polypeptide chain forms three loops, I, II, III, knotted together by four disulfide bridges, with the most prominent, loop II, containing another disulfide close to its lower tip. Loop I is stabilized by one beta-turn and two beta-sheet hydrogen bonds; loop II by eight beta-sheet hydrogen bonds, with the tip folded into two distorted right-handed helical turns stabilized by two alpha-helical and two beta-turn hydrogen bonds; and loop III by hydrophobic interactions and one beta-turn. Loop II and one strand of loop III form an antiparallel triple-pleated beta-sheet, and tight anchoring of the Asn63 side chain fixes the tail segment. In the crystal lattice, the alpha-cobratoxin molecules dimerize by beta-sheet formation between strands 53 and 57 of symmetry-related molecules. Because such interactions are found also in a cardiotoxin and alpha-bungarotoxin, this could be of importance for interaction with acetylcholine receptor.

Paleari L. et al. (2009) Inhibition of nonneuronal alpha7-nicotinic receptor for lung cancer treatment. Am J Respir Crit Care Med., PMID: 19151195

Yi M., et al. (2008) Spontaneous conformational change and toxin binding in alpha7 acetylcholine receptor: insight into channel activation and inhibition. PNAS. PMID: 18541920

Nicotinic AChRs (nAChRs) represent a paradigm for ligand-gated ion channels. Despite intensive studies over many years, our understanding of the mechanisms of activation and inhibition for nAChRs is still incomplete. Here, we present molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the alpha7 nAChR ligand-binding domain, both in apo form and in alpha-Cobratoxin-bound form, starting from the respective homology models built on crystal structures of the acetylcholine-binding protein. The toxin-bound form was relatively stable, and its structure was validated by calculating mutational effects on the toxin-binding affinity. However, in the apo form, one subunit spontaneously moved away from the conformation of the other four subunits. This motion resembles what has been proposed for leading to channel opening. At the top, the C loop and the adjacent beta7-beta8 loop swing downward and inward, whereas at the bottom, the F loop and the C terminus of beta10 swing in the opposite direction. These swings appear to tilt the whole subunit clockwise. The resulting changes in solvent accessibility show strong correlation with experimental results by the substituted cysteine accessibility method upon addition of acetylcholine. Our MD simulation results suggest a mechanistic model in which the apo form, although predominantly sampling the “closed” state, can make excursions into the “open” state. The open state has high affinity for agonists, leading to channel activation, whereas the closed state upon distortion has high affinity for antagonists, leading to inhibition.

Walkinshaw MD., et al.  (1980) Three-dimensional structure of the “long” neurotoxin from cobra venom, Proc. NatI. Acad. Sci. USA, PMID: 6930640

The three-dimensional structure of alpha-cobra-toxin, the “long” neurotoxin from the venom of Naja naja siamensis, has been determined at 2.8-A resolution. Crystals grown as hexagonal needles have space group P6522 with unit cell parameters a = b = 74.59 A, c = 42.89 A; one molecule per asymmetric unit. Phases were determined with a single isomorphous derivative with HgI2 by using the anomalous scattering of the single-site HgI2 molecule to resolve the phase ambiguity. The polypeptide chain folds into three major loops and one tail emerging from a globular head. The protruding long central loop (residues 21-40) is flanked on either side by two shorter loops (residues 4-13 and 44-55); the tail piece (residues 63-71) hangs behind this loop. The molecular conformation is determined by four disulfides in the head and one at the tip of the long loop, by a triple-stranded beta-pleated sheet involving this loop, and by hydrophobic interactions stabilizing the other two loops. The structure of alpha-cobratoxin is compared to that described for the “short” erabutoxin b which shows similar arrangement of structurally and functionally invariant groups.