Molecular cloning of an epidermal growth factor-like toxin and two sodium channel toxins from the sea anemone Stichodactyla gigantea.

An epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like toxin (gigantoxin I) and two sodium channel toxins (gigantoxins II and III), previously isolated from the sea anemone Stichodactyla gigantea, were cloned for their cDNAs. The precursor protein of gigantoxin I is composed of a signal peptide, propart and mature peptide, similar to those of gigantoxins II and III, and is much simpler in structure than those of mammalian EGFs. In addition, gigantoxin I as well as gigantoxins II and III was demonstrated to be contained in nematocysts, suggesting that gigantoxin I functions as a toxin in S. gigantea.