3 currents in human T lymphocytes ( Fig. 4B). The dose-response relationships of OcyTx2 for the inhibition of both Shaker-B and Kv1.3 channels, obtained from experiments as in A & B, are presented as the Lineweaver–Burk reciprocal-plot in Fig. 4C. The dissociation constants obtained from the corresponding slopes are 93.5 nM and 18.0 nM for Shaker-B and Kv1.3, respectively. The direct dose-response relationships are shown in Fig. 4D for the inhibition of the Shaker-B and Kv1.3 currents by OcyTx2. Fitting the Hill equation to the data points ( Fig. 4D, solid lines) yielded Kd = 96.6 nM, nH = 1.00

and Kd = 17.7 nM, nH = 1.10, respectively, in close agreement with the values obtained with the double-reciprocal plot of the points, which indicates that the toxin binds to channels with a Ipilimumab concentration 1:1 stoichiometry. Fig. 4E shows the current-voltage relationship obtained for Kv1.3 using a voltage-ramp protocol, thereby allowing the determination of the activation threshold of the Kv1.3 current in control solution and Selleck Pictilisib in the presence of OcyTx2, Fig. 4E shows that the activation threshold of Kv1.3 does not change upon treatment with 20 nM OcyKTx2, and confirms that this peptide does not affect the voltage-dependence of the activation gating of the channel. Thus, the reduction

of the peak currents in the presence of OcyKTx2 is a consequence of blockage of the K+ current rather than an overt shift in the voltage-dependence of gating. Herein we have described the functional characterization of OcyKTx2, a 34 amino acid long peptide with four disulfide bridges and a molecular weight of 3807 Da. OcyKTx2 is the second KTx that has been purified and characterized from O. cayaporum scorpion venom. Based on sequence alignment, identity and Lepirudin phylogenetic tree analysis we propose that OcyKTx2 belongs to the KTx6 family of scorpion toxins and thus its systematic name is α-KTx6.17. It is interesting to note that all KTx6 peptides were identified in non-Buthidae scorpions, and since Buthidae scorpions are mostly studied because of their medical importance, it seems that KTx6

peptides are restricted to the Iurida (suborder) and to the superfamily Scorpionoidea, which includes the Bothriuridae, Liochelidae, Scorpionidae, and Urodacidae families. Except for α-KTx6.11 (IsTX from O. madagascariensis) and α-KTx6.16 (OcyC12, a putative sequence described in the cDNA library of O. cayaporum), all other α-KTx6 peptides were included in the same branch in the phylogenetic tree (Fig 3). In this branch were also included Vm23 and Vm24, purified from Vaejovis mexicanus smithi, two peptides belonging to α-KTx7 family from Pandinus imperator (UniProtKB P55927 and P55928), and Parabutoxin-3 (α-KTx1.10 from Parabuthus transvaalicus, UniProtKB P83112). The last one is the only peptide belonging to a Buthidae scorpion included in this branch. Most scorpion KTxs are three disulfide-bounded peptides. All members of α-KTx6 subfamily possess four S-S bridges.