Genomic organization of three neurotoxins active on small conductance Ca²⁺‐activated potassium channels from the scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch¹

According to the known primary sequences of three neurotoxins active on small conductance Ca2+-activated potassium channels from the scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch, their corresponding cDNAs were cloned and sequenced using 3'- and 5'-RACE. All of them encoded a signal peptide composed of 28 residues and a mature toxin of 29, 28 and 33 residues, respectively. Their cDNA deduced sequences were totally consistent with those determined, and the C-terminal amidation of one neurotoxin was confirmed. The genomic DNAs of these three toxins were also amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. They all consisted of two exons disrupted by a small single intron. All of these introns were inserted within the signal peptide at the same -10 position upstream from the mature toxin, consisting of 94, 78 and 87 bp, respectively.