Other

University of Utah Research Foundation

Cognetix, Inc.

Reshma Shetty

Baldomero M Olivera

Craig S Walker

Robert M Jones

Maren Watkins

David M Hooper

Richard Jacobsen

J Michael McIntosh

Lourdes J Cruz

Alma L Burlingame

Julita S Imperial

Elsie C Jimenez

Gregory S Shen

Michael Fainzilber

Clark Colledge

Karel S Kits

Doug Steel

Doug Steele

The invention relates to relatively short peptides (termed &#x3c4;-conotoxins herein), about 10-25 residues in length, which are naturally available in minute amounts in the venom of the cone snails or analogous to the naturally available peptides, and which preferably include two disulfide bonds.

&#x3c4;-conotoxin peptides

The invention relates to relatively short peptides (termed I-conotoxins herein), about 30-50 residues in length, which are naturally available in minute amounts in the venom of the cone snails or analogous to the naturally available peptides, and which preferably include four disulfide bonds.

I-superfamily conotoxins

The invention relates to relatively short peptides (termed &tgr;-conotoxins herein), about 10-25 residues in length, which are naturally available in minute amounts in the venom of the cone snails or analogous to the naturally available peptides, and which preferably include two disulfide bonds.

Tau-conotoxin peptides

This invention relates to relatively short peptides about 25-40 residues in length, which are naturally available in minute amounts in the venom of the cone snails or analogs to the naturally available peptides, and which include three cyclizing disulfide linkages and one or more &ggr;-carboxyglutamate residues. More specifically, the present invention is directed to &ggr;-conopeptides having the general formula I: Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Xaa -Cys-Cys-Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Cys-Xaa (SEQ ID NO:1), as described herein; or having the general formula II: Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Xaa -Cys-Cys-Xaa -Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Cys-Xaa (SEQ ID NO:2), as defined herein; or having the general formula III: Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Xaa -Xaa -Cys-Cys-Ser-Asn-Ser-Cys-Asp-Xaa -Cys-Xaa (SEQ ID NO:3), as described herein; or having the general formula IV: Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Xaa -Xaa -Cys-Cys-Ser-Asn-Ser-Cys-Asp-Xaa -Cys-Xaa (SEQ ID NO:4), as described herein; or having the general formula V: Xaa -Xaa -Cys-Xaa -Xaa -Phe-Xaa -Cys-Thr-Xaa -Ser-Xaa -Cys-Cys-Ser-Asn-Ser-Cys-Asp-Gln-Thr-Tyr-Cys-Xaa -Leu-Xaa (SEQ ID NO:5), as described herein. The invention further relates to specific &ggr;-conopeptides, specific pro-&ggr;-conopeptides and nucleic acids encoding the pro-&ggr;-conopeptides. The invention also includes pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the conopeptides. These conopeptides are useful as agonists of neuronal pacemaker calcium channels.

Gamma-conopeptides

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Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

Reshma Shetty