title: Identification of a serine protease with nerve growth promoting activity from snake venom.
abstract: A new protein with nerve growth promoting activity was purified from the crude venom of the Agkistrodon halys Pallas, a Chinese snake. Its amino-terminal sequence unexpectedly showed high homology with serine proteases, suggesting that it is a new member of the serine protease family. It also cross-reacted with antibodies against thrombin-like enzyme and possessed weak arginine esterase activity, amounting to about 3% of the activity of trypsin. However, its nerve growth promoting activity was comparable to that of nerve growth factor (NGF). It was named NGF-like protease (NLP). Northern blot analysis further demonstrated different patterns of induction of c-myc, vgf and trkA mRNA transcription in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells treated with NGF and NLP, respectively. These data suggested that NLP represents a novel potent neurotrophic factor.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D017836:Agkistrodon; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C117340:NGF-like protease; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases