A comparative study of the biological activities of rattlesnake (genera Crotalus and Sistrurus) venoms.
1. The hemorrhagic, procoagulant, anticoagulant, protease, arginine ester hydrolase, phosphodiesterase, alkaline phosphomonoesterase, 5'-nucleotidase, hyaluronidase, phospholipase A and L-amino acid oxidase activities of 50 venom samples from 20 taxa of rattlesnake (genera Crotalus and Sistrurus) were examined. 2. The results show that notwithstanding individual variations in the biological activities of Crotalus venoms and the wide ranges of certain biological activities observed, there are some common characteristics at the genus and species levels. 3. The differences in biological activities of the venoms compared can be used for differentiation of the species. Particularly useful for this purpose are the thrombin-like enzyme, protease, arginine ester hydrolase, hemorrhagic and phospholipase A activities and kaolin-cephalin clotting time measurements.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
N H
NH
Tan
G
G
Ponnudurai
D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006821:Hyaluronoglucosaminidase / Q000378:metabolism; D050830:L-Amino Acid Oxidase; D051379:Mice; D009708:Nucleotidases / Q000378:metabolism; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000378:metabolism; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D013045:Species Specificity
D000925:Anticoagulants; D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; D050830:L-Amino Acid Oxidase; D010741:Phospholipases A; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D009708:Nucleotidases; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases; D006821:Hyaluronoglucosaminidase; D010450:Endopeptidases