Specificity of Loxosceles α clade phospholipase D enzymes for choline-containing lipids: Role of a conserved aromatic cage.

ABSTRACT: Spider venom GDPD-like phospholipases D (SicTox) have been identified to be one of the major toxins in recluse spider venom. They are divided into two major clades: the α clade and the β clade. Most α clade toxins present high activity against lipids with choline head groups such as sphingomyelin, while activities in β clade toxins vary and include preference for substrates containing ethanolamine headgroups (Sicarius terrosus, St_βIB1). A structural comparison of available structures of phospholipases D (PLDs) reveals a conserved aromatic cage in the α clade. To test the potential influence of the aromatic cage on membrane-lipid specificity we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the binding of several PLDs onto lipid bilayers containing choline headgroups; two SicTox from the

SUBMITTER: Moutoussamy EE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8893692 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature