title: Biochemical characterization of the Micrurus pyrrhocryptus venom.
abstract: Snake venom toxicity is the consequence of a combination of peptides and proteins whose identification and characterization are of great importance to understand envenomation and develop new clinical treatments. The Elapinae subfamily includes coral snakes whose bite causes mainly neurotoxic effects which disable muscle contraction and paralyse the heart as well as inhibit respiration. However, the structure-function relationship of venom toxins has been investigated only for a few species. We herein study biological aspects of the Micrurus pyrrhocryptus venom such as LD(50), hemorrhagic, necrotic, coagulant, myotoxic and hemolytic activity as well as the ability of venom components to compete with alpha-Bungarotoxin for the ligand-binding site of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Besides, we report the determination of the molecular mass and N-terminal sequence of toxins including PLA2s, short, long and weak neurotoxins. The complete sequence of one of the short neurotoxins has also been obtained, this being the first sequence of an alpha-neurotoxin determined in the M. pyrrhocryptus venom and one of the few fully determined in members of the Micrurus genus.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Producción de Biológicos, ANLIS - Dr. Carlos G. Malbran, Av. Velez Sarsfield 563, (1282) Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: José Christian
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dokmetjian
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Del Canto
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vinzón
authors.forename: Mirtha Biscoglio
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: de Jiménez Bonino
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D001483:Base Sequence; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D017815:Elapidae; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004546:Elapid Venoms; D009498:Neurotoxins; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; C053972:micrurus venom