P. Kuhn et al., The atomic resolution structure of bucandin, a novel toxin isolated from the Malayan krait, determined by direct methods, ACT CRYST D, 56, 2000, pp. 1401-1407
Bucandin is a novel presynaptic neurotoxin isolated from Bungarus candidus
(Malayan krait). It has the unique property of enhancing presynaptic acetyl
choline release and represents a family of three-finger toxins with an addi
tional disulfide in the first loop. There are no existing structures from t
his sub-category of three-finger toxins. The X-ray crystal structure of buc
andin has been determined by the Shake-and-Bake direct-methods procedure. T
he resulting electron-density maps were of outstanding quality and allowed
the automated tracing of 61 of the 63 amino-acid residues, including their
side chains, and the placement of 48 solvent molecules. The 0.97 Angstrom r
esolution full-matrix least-squares refinement converged to a crystallograp
hic R factor of 12.4% and the final model contains 118 solvent molecules. T
his is the highest resolution structure of any member of the three-finger t
oxin family and thus it can serve as the best model for other members of th
e family. Furthermore, the structure of this novel toxin will help in under
standing its unique ability to enhance acetylcholine release. The unique st
ructure resulting from the fifth disulfide bond residing in the first loop
improves the understanding of other toxins with a similar arrangement of di
sulfide bonds.