@article {Wu:August 2000:1742-464X:4668,
author = "Wu, Pei-Fung",
author = "Chang, Long-Sen",
title = "Genetic organization of Achain and Bchain of -bungarotoxin from Taiwan banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus): Achain genes and Bchain genes do not share a common origin",
journal = "European Journal of Biochemistry",
volume = "267",
year = "August 2000",
abstract = "β-Bungarotoxin, the main presynaptic neurotoxin purified from the venom of Bungarus multicinctus, consists of two dissimilar polypeptide chains, the A chain and the B chain, cross-linked by an interchain disulfide bond. In this study, A and B chain genes isolated from the liver of B. multicinctus encoded the A and B chain precursors, respectively. Analyses of the coding regions of the A and B chain genes revealed that both consist of three exons and two introns. The sequences of all exon/intron junctions agree with the GT/AG rule. However, sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis did not support that the evolution of A and B chain genes are closely related. Comparative analysis of A chain genes with Viperinae and Crotalinae phospholipase A2 genes indicated that genetic divergence of the A chain and phospholipase A2s was in accordance with their family. Moreover, evolutionary divergence of the intron and exon regions of the A chain, as observed for phospholipase A2 genes, was not consistent. Noticeably, the transcription of A and B chain genes may be regulated under different transcription factors as revealed by analyses of their promoter sequences. In terms of the finding that A and B chains are encoded separately by different genes, this strongly supports the view that the intact β-bungarotoxin molecules should be derived from the pairing of A and B chains after their mRNAs are translated.",
pages = "4668-4675(8)",
url = "http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/ejb/2000/00000267/00000015/art00008"
doi = "doi:10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.01518.x"
}