title: Post-translational modification accounts for the presence of varied forms of nerve growth factor in Australian elapid snake venoms.
abstract: The Australian elapid snakes are amongst the most venomous snakes in the world, but much less is known about the overall venom composition in comparison to Asian and American snakes. We have used a combined approach of cDNA cloning and 2-DE with MS to identify nerve growth factor (NGF) in venoms of the Australian elapid snakes and demonstrate its neurite outgrowth activity. While a single 730 nucleotide ORF, coding for a 243 amino acid precursor protein was detected in all snakes, use of 2-DE identified NGF proteins with considerable variation in molecular size within and between the different snakes. The variation in size can be explained at least in part by N-linked glycosylation. It is possible that these modifications alter the stability, activity and other characteristics of the snake NGFs. Further characterisation is necessary to delineate the function of the individual NGF isoforms.
authors.affiliation: The Queensland Institute of Medical Research, PO Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Stephen T H
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Earl
authors.forename: Geoff W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Birrell
authors.forename: Tristan P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Wallis
authors.forename: Liam D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: St Pierre
authors.forename: Paul P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Masci
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Jersey
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gorman
authors.forename: Martin F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lavin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D001483:Base Sequence; D001681:Biological Assay; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017815:Elapidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D006031:Glycosylation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D040901:Proteomics; D051381:Rats; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004546:Elapid Venoms; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor