Terebridae (auger shells) (taxid:57610)

The Terebridae is a family of small to large predatory marine gastropods. These gastropods have extremely high spired shells with numerous whorls, and the common name "auger snail" refers to the resemblance of their shells to drill bits.

These snails are sand-dwelling carnivores which live in warmer waters. In most species, a venomous barb similar to that of the cone snails, is used to stun and immobilize prey, which typically consists of various marine worms.


image  image
Terebra subulata (Photo courtesy of Juliette Gorson).                Hastula hectica (Photo courtesy of Yves Terryn).
Use of photos governed by creative commons noncommercial license.




The table below shows the cysteine frameworks (using the Conus nomenclature) that are found in this family of gastropods.
Cysteine framework number of Cys Cys pattern UniProtKB entries or reference
I 4 CC-C-C image
α2/8 (CCxxCxxxxxxxxC image
α4/4 (CCxxCxxxxxxxxC image
α4/5 (CCxxCxxxxxxxxC image
VI/VII 6 C-C-CC-C-C image
VIII 10 C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C   image
IX 6 C-C-C-C-C-C image
XI 8 C-C-CC-CC-C-C image
XIII 8 C-C-C-CC-C-C-C image
XIV 4 C-C-C-C image
XV 8 C-C-CC-C-C-C-C image
XVI 4 C-C-CC image
XVII 8 C-C-CC-C-CC-C   image
XXII 8 C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C image
Novel-8-cys 8 C-C-C-C-C-CCC image
Novel-10-cys 10 C-CC-C-C-C-C-C-C-C image
Novel-12-cys 12 C-CC-CC-C-C-C-C-C-C-C image


The table below shows the classification of teretoxins based on similarities in precursor signal peptide sequences.
Protein family or
Superfamily in UniProtKB
UniProtKB entries or reference
Teretoxin A (TA) superfamily image
Teretoxin B (TB) superfamily   image
Teretoxin C (TC) superfamily image
Teretoxin D (TD) superfamily   image
Teretoxin E (TE) superfamily   image
Teretoxin F (TF) superfamily   image
Teretoxin G (TG) superfamily   image
Teretoxin H (TH) superfamily image
Teretoxin I (TI) superfamily   image
Teretoxin J (TJ) superfamily image
Teretoxin K (TK) superfamily   image
Teretoxin L (TL) superfamily   image
Teretoxin M (TM ) superfamily image
Teretoxin N (TN) superfamily image
Vasopressin/oxytocin family image
Porin family image

Venom protein entries in UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot

(all links/actions below point to uniprot.org website)

46 entries grouped by species

15 entries

Hastula hectica (Sea snail) (Impages hectica)

Select_allDeselect_all
TE2_HASHE Augerpeptide hheTx2 Not in a family
TE53_HASHE Augerpeptide hhe53 Not in a family
TE61_HASHE Augerpeptide hhe6.1 Not in a family
TE62_HASHE Augerpeptide hhe6.2 Not in a family
TE63_HASHE Augerpeptide hhe6.3 Not in a family
TE64_HASHE Augerpeptide hhe6.4 Not in a family
TE7A_HASHE Augerpeptide hhe7a Not in a family
TE92_HASHE Augerpeptide hhe9.2 Not in a family
TE9A_HASHE Augerpeptide Hhe9a (Hhe9.1) Not in a family
TE9_HASHE Augerpeptide hhe9 Not in a family
TED_HASHE Augerpeptide hheTx3 Not in a family
TEF4_HASHE Augerpeptide hheTx4 Not in a family
TEF5_HASHE Augerpeptide hheTx5 Not in a family
TEG1_HASHE Augerpeptide hheTx1 Not in a family
TEIA_HASHE Augerpeptide hhe1a Not in a family

16 entries

Terebra anilis (Auger snail) (Cinguloterebra anilis)

Select_allDeselect_all
ACTP1_TERAN Tereporin-Ca1 (Actinoporin-like protein) Actinoporin family, Conoidea ...
T11_TERAN Teretoxin Tan1.1 Teretoxin A (TA) superfamily
T61_TERAN Teretoxin Tan6.1 Teretoxin M (TM) superfamily
T62_TERAN Teretoxin Tan6.2 Teretoxin M (TM) superfamily
T68_TERAN Teretoxin Tan6.8 Not in a family
T6E_TERAN Teretoxin Tan6.14 Not in a family
T96_TERAN Teretoxin Tan9.6 Not in a family
TAC_TERAN Tan_10cys Teretoxin C (TC) superfamily
TB1_TERAN Teretoxin Tan11.1 Teretoxin H (TH) superfamily
TCC_TERAN Tan_12Cys Teretoxin C (TC) superfamily
TE1_TERAN Teretoxin Tan14.1 Teretoxin N (TN) superfamily
TESS_TERAN Terepressin/terephysin (Conopressin/Conophysin-like) [Cleaved ... Vasopressin/oxytocin family
TF2_TERAN Teretoxin Tan15.2 Not in a family
TM5_TERAN Teretoxin Tan22.5 Teretoxin J (TJ) superfamily
TMC_TERAN Teretoxin Tan22.12 Teretoxin C (TC) superfamily
TMD_TERAN Teretoxin Tan22.13 Teretoxin C (TC) superfamily

1 entry

Terebra guttata (White spotted auger snail) (Epitonium guttatum)

T61_TERGU Teretoxin Tgu6.1 (Teretoxin peptide 6.1) Not in a family

13 entries

Terebra subulata (Chocolate spotted auger) (Buccinum subulatum)

Select_allDeselect_all
ACTP1_TERSU Tereporin-Ts1 (Actinoporin-like protein) Actinoporin family, Conoidea ...
AX6A_TERSU Augerpeptide-s6a (Agx-s6a) Not in a family
AX7A_TERSU Augerpeptide-s7a (Agx-s7a) Not in a family
AXBA_TERSU Augerpeptide-s11a (Agx-s11a) Not in a family
T11_TERSU Teretoxin Tsu1.1 Teretoxin A (TA) superfamily
T64_TERSU Teretoxin Tsu6.4 Not in a family
T65_TERSU Teretoxin Tsu6.5 Teretoxin M (TM) superfamily
T68_TERSU Teretoxin Tsu6.8 Teretoxin M (TM) superfamily
T6F_TERSU Teretoxin Tsu6.15 Teretoxin M (TM) superfamily
T6G_TERSU Teretoxin Tsu6.16 Teretoxin M (TM) superfamily
TB2_TERSU Teretoxin Tsu11.2 Teretoxin H (TH) superfamily
TESS_TERSU Terepressin/terephysin (Conopressin/Conophysin-like) [Cleaved ... Vasopressin/oxytocin family
TF4_TERSU Teretoxin Tsu15.4 Not in a family

1 entry

Terebra variegata (Variegate auger snail)

T3A_TERVA Venom peptide Tv1 (Teretoxin v3a) Not in a family