BthMP: a new weakly hemorrhagic metalloproteinase from Bothrops moojeni snake venom.
In this work, a new weakly hemorrhagic metalloproteinase (BthMP) was purified from Bothrops moojeni snake venom. This enzyme was homogeneous by native and SDS-PAGE. It showed a polypeptide chain of 23.5kDa, pI=7.1, and N-terminal blocked. BthMP is comprised of high proteolytic activity on casein, fibrin and bovine fibrinogen, with no coagulating, esterase or phospholipase A(2) activities; it was inhibited by EDTA, EGTA and 1,10-phenanthroline and maintained its activity on pH from 7.0 to 9.0 and temperature from 5-40 degrees C. Assays with metal ions showed that Ca(2+) is an activator, whereas Zn(2+) and Hg(2+) inhibited about 50 and 80% of its activity, respectively. The edema evidenced the important role of the toxin in the inflammatory activity of the venom. BthMP also caused unclotting, and provoked histological alterations in the gastrocnemius muscle of mice inducing hemorrhage, necrosis and leukocytic infiltrate. The molecular mass and the inhibition assays suggest that the metalloproteinase BthMP belongs to class P-I of SVMPs.
Gomes
Mário Sérgio R
MS
Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU), 38400-902 Uberlândia-MG, Brazil. mrochauesb@yahoo.com.br
Mendes
Mirian M
MM
de Oliveira
Fábio
F
de Andrade
Rodrigo M
RM
Bernardes
Carolina P
CP
Hamaguchi
Amélia
A
de Alcântara
Tânia M
TM
Soares
Andreimar M
AM
Rodrigues
Veridiana M
VM
Homsi-Brandeburgo
Maria I
MI
D000818:Animals; D017837:Bothrops / Q000502:physiology*; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000201:enzymology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006614:Hindlimb; D008297:Male; D045726:Metalloproteases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology
D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D045726:Metalloproteases