EVIDENCE FOR A HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT PRE-ROBUSTOXIN MOLECULE IN THE VENOM OF THE MALE SYDNEY FUNNEL-WEB SPIDER (ATRAX-ROBUSTUS)

Authors
COLLINS SP COMIS A TYLER MI MARSHALL M HOWDEN MEH
Citation
Sp. Collins et al., EVIDENCE FOR A HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT PRE-ROBUSTOXIN MOLECULE IN THE VENOM OF THE MALE SYDNEY FUNNEL-WEB SPIDER (ATRAX-ROBUSTUS), Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part C, Pharmacology toxicology & endocrinology, 110(1), 1995, pp. 89-93
Citations number
20
Journal title
Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part C, Pharmacology toxicology & endocrinology → ACNP
ISSN journal
13678280
Volume
110
Issue
1
Year of publication
1995
Pages
89 - 93
Database
ISI
SICI code
1367-8280(1995)110:1<89:EFAHPM>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
Robustoxin is the lethal polypeptide toxin in Atrax robustus venom. A monoclonal antibody was produced using synthetic, unfolded robustoxin conjugated to keyhole limpet haemocyanin as the immunogen. This monocl onal antibody did not protect newborn mice against challenge with the crude venom of the male Sydney funnel-web spider, but did slightly pro long their survival time, Western blotted crude venom of the male Sydn ey funnel-web spider showed two monoclonal antibody binding bands. One band at low M(r) corresponded to robustoxin (M(r) 4854), while the ot her higher M(r) band (approximately 37,000) may be due to a pre-robust oxin molecule.