Structural properties of mojave toxin of crotalus scutulatus (Mojave rattlesnake) determined by laser Raman spectroscopy.

Laser Raman Spectra were obtained on aqueous and solid samples of Mojave toxin isolated from the venom of the Mojave rattlesnake ($\text{Crotalus}\text{scutulatus}$). The Raman spectra reveal that the Mojave toxin, an acidic protein of molecular weight about 22,000, contains a predominantly α-helical secondary structure and that the tyrosyl residues, on the basis of the Raman frequencies and intensities, are exposed to the solvent. These features of the Mojave toxin distinguish it structurally from the neurotoxins of sea snake venoms. However, like the sea snake venom toxins, Mojave toxin contains four disulfide bridges and is not greatly altered in structure by removal of the aqueous solvent.