Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kv10.1

Title: Engineering a uniquely reactive thiol into a cysteine-rich peptide.

Authors: E Shimony, T Sun, L Kolmakova-Partensky, C Miller

Journal, date & volume: Protein Eng., 1994 Apr , 7, 503-7

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7518082

Abstract
Cysteine mutagenesis for the purpose of chemical labelling was applied to the K+ channel neurotoxin charybdotoxin, a 37-residue peptide with six functionally essential cysteines. An additional 'spinster cysteine' was introduced at a position far away in space from the toxin's known interaction surface where it contacts its K+ channel receptor. Despite the presence of the extra unpaired cysteine residue, the toxin still folds efficiently and may be labelled by fluorescent and radioactive reagents to give a functionally competent toxin.