Chlorotoxin

Chlorotoxin is a chloride channel blocker which has been isolated from the venom of the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus. It has been shown to specifically bind to glioma cells and to inhibit their invasive potential. The toxin has recently been reported to bind to a protein complex on the surface of glioma cells containing several proteins implicated in glioma cell invasion. Gelatinase A (matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2)) is one of the components present in this complex. The anti-invasive effect of chlorotoxin seems to be mediated by binding to and direct inhibition of gelatinase A, and its surface down-regulation. Sequence: [Cys2-Cys19, Cys5-Cys28, Cys16-Cys33, Cys20-Cys35] H-Met-Cys-Met-Pro-Cys-Phe-Thr-Thr-Asp-His-Gln-Met-Ala-Arg-Lys-Cys-Asp-Asp-Cys-Cys-Gly-Gly-Lys-Gly-Arg-Gly-Lys-Cys-Tyr-Gly-Pro-Gln-Cys-Leu-Cys-Arg-NH2 , Potential mode of action/Key words: Protein toxin, Chloride channel blocker