This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff.
The aim of the project is to identify toxins from Terebridae and Turret species. The peptides present in the crude venom of Terebridae gutatta, argyosia, maunti and formosa were measured by LC-MS on the Orbitrap. Only the gutatta and argyosia venom had enough material to allow off-line separation. These two venoms were separated by RP-HPLC and the fractions exhibiting strong UV absorption at 214 nm were analyzed with MALDI TOF mass spectrometry to determine the accurate mass and number of disulfide bonds of potential toxins in these fractions. The Terebridae aergyosia venom showed hardly any material using UV detection, but Terebridae gutatta showed 5 major peaks. Unfortunately using a standard reduction protocol all of the gutatta peptides precipitated. The reduction protocol was optimized by increasing the amount of organic solvent (acetonitrile and methanol) and addition of GnHCL. Toxins with masses ranging from 3700 to 5030 Da were identified. The majority of toxins (5) contained 6 disulfide bonds and one toxin contained 8 disulfide bonds. I obtained several new venom ducts from which I extracted the venom and Mande separated the by HPLC, but the amounts are right on the detection limit. I saved a small aliquot of the crude venoms and will try to sequence the toxin using the crude material. There is absolutely no database available for these species and the amounts of material we have are vanishingly small.
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