Procoagulant adaptation of a blood coagulation prothrombinase-like enzyme complex in australian elapid venom.
The macromolecular enzyme complex prothrombinase serves an indispensable role in blood coagulation as it catalyzes the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin, a key regulatory enzyme in the formation of a blood clot. Interestingly, a virtually identical enzyme complex is found in the venom of some Australian elapid snakes, which is composed of a cofactor factor Va-component and a serine protease factor Xa-like subunit. This review will provide an overview of the identification and characterization of the venom prothrombinase complex and will discuss the rationale for its powerful procoagulant nature responsible for the potent hemostatic toxicity of the elapid venom.
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. bos@email.chop.edu
Mettine H A
MH
Bos
Rodney M
RM
Camire
D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D004546:Elapid Venoms / Q000201:enzymology; D015943:Factor Va; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D013925:Thromboplastin
D004546:Elapid Venoms; D015943:Factor Va; D013925:Thromboplastin