Post-translationally modified neuropeptides from Conus venoms

Predatory cone snails (genus Conus) comprise what is arguably the largest l iving genus of marine animals (500 species). All Conus use complex venoms t o capture prey and for other biological purposes. Most biologically active components of these venoms are small disulfide-rich peptides, generally 7-3 5 amino acids in length. There are probably of the order of 100 different p eptides expressed in the venom of each of the 500 Conus species [1,2]. Pept ide sequences diverge rapidly between Conus species, resulting in a distinc t peptide complement for each species. Thus, the genus as a whole has proba bly generated approximate to 50 000 different peptides, which can be organi zed into families and superfamilies with shared sequence elements [3]. In t his minireview, we provide a brief overview of the neuropharmacological, mo lecular and cell-biological aspects of the Conus peptides. However, the maj or focus of the review will be the remarkable array of post-translational m odifications found in these peptides.