Isolation and characterization of novel conopeptides from Conus nux

Cone snails are marine gastropods belonging to the genus Conus that inhabit in tropical habitats throughout the world. They are predators that paralyze their prey by injection of venom, containing a complex mixture of conopeptides. The venom of cone snails has been found to be a valuable source of specific drugs for disorders ranging from stroke to chronic pain. For this work, the venom of Conus nux, a Panamic cone snail species, was extracted and analyzed. Components of the venom were isolated using Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) and Reversed Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography techniques. A novel conopeptide sequence, determined by Edman Degradation is reported. The arrangement of the cysteines residues within this sequence suggest that it member of the M-superfamily of conotoxins.