title: Isolation of subunits, alpha, beta and gamma of the complex taipoxin from the venom of Australian taipan snake (Oxyuranus s. scutellatus): characterization of beta taipoxin as a potent mitogen.
abstract: The venom of Australian taipan snake (Oxyuranus s. scutellatus) is extremely potent due to the presence of taipoxin. The intact complex molecule of taipoxin having molecular weight 45.6 kDa is composed of alpha, beta and gamma subunits. This report describes the high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation of alpha, beta (beta-1 and beta-2) and gamma subunits from taipan crude venom. The fractions containing the taipoxin subunits were further purified to obtain homogeneous proteins. The toxicity in mice showed the alpha subunit as most toxic, the gamma subunit as moderately toxic and the beta-1 and beta-2 subunits were nontoxic. The proteins beta-1 and beta-2 were found to be mitogenic having neurotrophic activity on PC12 cells in culture similar to nerve growth factor. Immunologically, alpha, beta-1, beta-2 and gamma subunits were found to be different, showing cross reactivity, and beta-1 and beta-2 were found to be identical for biological properties and molecular weight. Further characterization of unexpected mitogenic activity of beta subunits is underway.
authors.affiliation: Ophidia Products Inc., 11320 South Post Oak, Suite 203, Houston, TX 77035, USA. bvl@ophidia.com
authors.forename: B V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Lipps
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008934:Mitogens; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity; D016716:PC12 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate
chemical_list: D004546:Elapid Venoms; D008934:Mitogens; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; C015523:taipoxin