title: Characterization of multiple nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-binding proteins and phospholipases A2 from the venom of the coral snake Micrurus nigrocinctus.
abstract: The presence of multiple nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AchR)-binding proteins and phospholipases A2 was detected in the venom of a member of the Elapinae subfamily, Micrurus nigrocinctus nigrocinctus. Multi-step chromatographies were used to isolate four AchR-binding proteins (Mnn-9, Mnn-4, Mnn-3C and Mnn-1A) and five basic PLA2s (nigroxins A, B, C1, C2 and C3). The Micrurus AchR-binding proteins are antigenically and structurally related to short- and long-chain alpha-neurotoxins from Naja. The nigroxins are antigenically similar and constitute a new antigenic subclass of PLA(2)s. Nigroxins A and B are class I PLA(2)s, structurally more related to enzymes from Bungarinae than to those from Hydrophinae/Laticaudinae. These data contribute to clarify the relationships between Micrurus venom proteins and other elapid toxins and may be useful to improve the neutralizing efficiency of antivenoms.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alape-Girón
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stiles
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girón-Cortes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thelestam
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jörnvall
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bergman
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003039:Cobra Neurotoxin Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology*; D017815:Elapidae; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism*; D017421:Sequence Analysis
chemical_list: D003039:Cobra Neurotoxin Proteins; D004546:Elapid Venoms; D007527:Isoenzymes; D011506:Proteins; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; C053972:micrurus venom; D010741:Phospholipases A