title: The role of acetic acid in the prevention of salt-induced aggregation of snake venom cardiotoxins.
abstract: Snake venom cardiotoxins (CTXs) exhibit a strong tendency to aggregate upon desalting and hence it is extremely difficult to prepare salt-free cardiotoxin(s). In the present study, we describe a new method for preparation of salt-free CTX based on dialysis against acetic acid. Based on experimental observation and the three dimensional solution structure of cardiotoxin analogue III from the Taiwan cobra (Naja naja atra), a molecular mechanism for the prevention of aggregation of cardiotoxins by acetic acid is discussed. In our opinion, the results obtained in the present study would pave way for elucidating the structural basis for the broad spectrum of biological activities exhibited by snake venom cardiotoxins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sivaraman
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004179:Cobra Cardiotoxin Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D003956:Dialysis; D017815:Elapidae; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D012492:Salts; D012910:Snake Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D004179:Cobra Cardiotoxin Proteins; D012492:Salts; D012910:Snake Venoms; D019342:Acetic Acid