Premium
Amphiphilic β‐sheet cobra cardiotoxin targets mitochondria and disrupts its network
Author(s) -
Wang Chia-Hui,
Wu Wen-guey
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.05.006
Subject(s) - cardiotoxin , mitochondrion , cytosol , internalization , cobra , microbiology and biotechnology , amphiphile , programmed cell death , chemistry , biochemistry , apoptosis , biology , cell , venom , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language , copolymer , enzyme , polymer
Recent advance in understanding the role of toxin proteins in controlling cell death has revealed that pro‐apoptotic viral proteins targeting mitochondria contain amphiphilic α‐helices with pore‐forming properties. Herein, we describe that the pore‐forming amphiphilic β‐sheet cardiotoxins (or cytotoxins, CTXs) from Taiwan cobra ( Naja atra ) also target mitochondrial membrane after internalization and act synergistically with CTX‐induced cytosolic calcium increase to disrupt mitochondria network. It is suggested that CTX‐induced fragmentation of mitochondria play a role in controlling CTX‐induced necrosis of myocytes and cause severe tissue necrosis in the victims.