Purification and Identification of Huwentoxin-Ⅵ,a Neurotoxic Peptide from the Venom of Selenocosmia huwena

A novel mammal-specific neuron toxin,Huwentoxin-Ⅵ(HWTX-Ⅵ),was purified from the venom of the spider Selenocosmia huwena,by ion exchange chromatography and reversed phase HPLC.The molecular weight of the toxin is 4.440 18 kDa determined by the analysis of MALDI-TOF mass spectrum and the sequence is:H2N-CIGEG VPCDE NDPRC CSGLV VLKKT LHGIW IKSSY CYKCK-COOH determined by the amino sequence analysis,in which six Cys residues form three pairs of disulfide bridge.Rat brain injection experiments show that Huwentoxin-Ⅵ has obvious paralysis effect on neuron system and the paralysis effect has reversibility.