title: Identification of beta-type phospholipase A(2) inhibitor in a nonvenomous snake, Elaphe quadrivirgata.
abstract: A novel serum protein inhibiting specifically the enzymatic activity of the basic phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) from the venom of the Chinese mamushi snake (Agkistrodon blomhoffii siniticus) was purified from a nonvenomous Colubridae snake, Elaphe quadrivirgata. The purified inhibitor was a 150-kDa glycoprotein having a trimeric structure, composed of two homologous 50-kDa subunits. Their amino acid sequences, containing leucine-rich repeats, were typical of the beta-type PLA(2) inhibitor (PLIbeta), previously identified from the serum of A. blomhoffii siniticus. The inhibitor inhibited exclusively group II basic PLA(2)s and did not inhibit other kinds of PLA(2)s. This is the first paper reporting the existence of PLIbeta in a nonvenomous snake. The existence of PLIbeta in the nonvenomous snake reflects that PLIbetas are widely distributed over the snake species and participate commonly in regulating the physiological activities of the unidentified target PLA(2)s.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 4-20-1 Nasahara, 569-1094, Takatsuki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Kyozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017812:Colubridae; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054513:Group IV Phospholipases A2; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010741:Phospholipases A; D054513:Group IV Phospholipases A2