International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Functional and Structural Variation among Sticholysins, Pore-Forming Proteins from the Sea Anemone Stichodactyla helianthus Esperanza Rivera-de-Torre 1,2,3 , Juan Palacios-Ortega 1,2 , J. Peter Slotte 1,2, José G. Gavilanes 1, Álvaro Martínez-del-Pozo 1 and Sara García-Linares 1,* 1 Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
[email protected] (E.R.-d.-T.);
[email protected] (J.P.-O.); jpslotte@abo.fi (J.P.S.);
[email protected] (J.G.G.);
[email protected] (Á.M.-d.-P.) 2 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Turku, Finland 3 Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 19 October 2020; Accepted: 20 November 2020; Published: 24 November 2020 Abstract: Venoms constitute complex mixtures of many different molecules arising from evolution in processes driven by continuous prey–predator interactions. One of the most common compounds in these venomous cocktails are pore-forming proteins, a family of toxins whose activity relies on the disruption of the plasmatic membranes by forming pores. The venom of sea anemones, belonging to the oldest lineage of venomous animals, contains a large amount of a characteristic group of pore-forming proteins known as actinoporins. They bind specifically to sphingomyelin-containing membranes and suffer a conformational metamorphosis that drives them to make pores. This event usually leads cells to death by osmotic shock. Sticholysins are the actinoporins produced by Stichodactyla helianthus. Three different isotoxins are known: Sticholysins I, II, and III.