Purification and characterization of a cysteine-rich secretory protein from Philodryas patagoniensis snake venom.
Cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRiSPs) are widespread in reptile venoms, but most have functions that remain unknown. In the present study we describe the purification and characterization of a CRiSP (patagonin) from the venom of the rear-fanged snake Philodryas patagoniensis, and demonstrate its biological activity. Patagonin is a single-chain protein, exhibiting a molecular mass of 24,858.6 Da, whose NH(2)-terminal and MS/MS-derived sequences are nearly identical to other snake venom CRiSPs. The purified protein hydrolyzed neither azocasein nor fibrinogen, and it could induce no edema, hemorrhage or inhibition of platelet adhesion and aggregation. In addition, patagonin did not inhibit contractions of rat aortic smooth muscle induced by high K(+). However, it caused muscular damage to murine gastrocnemius muscle, an action that has not been previously described for any snake venom CRiSPs. Thus, patagonin will be important for studies of the structure-function and evolutionary relationships of this family of proteins that are widely distributed among snake venoms.
Peichoto
María E
ME
Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Cátedra de Farmacología, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina. mepeichoto@yahoo.com.ar
Mackessy
Stephen P
SP
Teibler
Pamela
P
Tavares
Flávio L
FL
Burckhardt
Paula L
PL
Breno
María C
MC
Acosta
Ofelia
O
Santoro
Marcelo L
ML
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012910:Snake Venoms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000633:toxicity
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012910:Snake Venoms