Knottins display a variety of biological functions


  • ‣ Some knottins are thought to perform their action via interaction with a receptor.
  • ‣ This has led several authors to use the slightly restrictive name "Inhibitor Cystine Knot" (ICK)
  • ‣ Different activities are located on different parts of the molecules, and almost all Knottin loops have been implied in one ore more function.
  • ‣ The major known biological functions exerted by Knottins are briefly outlined below.
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Analgesics

Anthelmintic

Anti-ED

Antimalarial

Antimicrobials

Antitumors

Protease inhibitors

Toxins

Insecticids

Others

Anthelmintic activity

Cyclotides possess anthelmintic activity

  • Several Kalata and cycloviolacin peptides were shown to display significant activity in inhibiting larvae development and adult motility of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae, two important gastrointestinal nematode parasites of sheep. The activity displays no chiral selectivity and appears to be related to clustered basic residues suggesting that membrane interaction rather than interaction with a receptor is involved in the cyclotide anthelmintic activity [Colgrave et al., 2008].