Purification and characterization of the fibrinolytic enzyme from Agkistrodon halys halys venom

By Q-sepharose column ion-exchange chromatography, alkyl-sepharose column hydrophobic chromatography the purified fibrinogenolytic enzyme was obtained from Agkistrodon halys halys venom. It is a single peptide-chain with molecular weight about 28 kDa. It was founded that this enzyme cleaved A alpha-chain of fibrinogen, pH-optimum was determined in the range of 7.5-8.0. Its fibrinogenolytic activity was estimated 15.6 mM fibrinogen/min per mg protein; caseinolytic activity was estimated 7.5 c.u., and amidolytic activity was 0.325 mM pNA/min/mg and 0.175 mM pNA/min/mg for S2238 and S2251 respectively; K(m) was 5.6 mM. The enzyme activity was inhibited by DFP and benzamidine. These results suggest that the enzyme is serine protease. It inhibited the platelet-aggregation.     

Alpha and beta-fibrinogenases from Trimeresurus gramineus snake venom.

By means of DEAE-Sephadex A-50 Column chromatography, Trimeresurus gramineus venom was separated into twelve fractions. The fibrinogenolytic activities were distributed in Fractions 1 and 10. These enzymes were further purified by gel filtration and were homogeneous as judged by cellulose acetate membrane, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugal analysis. Both of them were single peptide chains. The sedimentation constants of alpha- (Fraction 1) and beta-fibrinogenases (Fraction 10) were 2.20 and 3.60, respectively. The molecular weights of alpha- and beta-fibrinogenases were 23 500 and 25 000 respectively. The contents of proline and glycine were higher in beta-fibrinogenase than in alpha-fibrinogenase. The isoelectric points of alpha-fibrinogenase and beta-fibrinogenase were pH greater than 10 and 4.5, respectively. The optimal pH of alpha-fibrinogenase was approx. 7.4 and that of beta-fibrinogenase was approx. 9.0. The activity of alpha-fibrinogenase was completely destroyed after 30 min at 60 degrees C, pH 5.4, 7.4 and 9.0, while that of beta-fibrinogenase was much less affected by the same treatment. The specific fibrinogenolytic activity alpha-fibrinogenase was 31 mg fibrinogen/min per mg protein, while that of beta-fibrinogenase was 9 mg fibrinogen/min per mg protein. alpha-Fibrinogenase cleaved specifically the alpha(A) chain of monomeric fibrinogen without cleaving the beta(B) chain and gamma-chain. beta-fibrinogenase preferentially cleaved the beta(B) chain, and the alpha(A) chain was also partially cleaved by beta-fibrinogenase, if the incubation time was prolonged. Both enzymes showed proteolytic activities toward fibrinogen, fibrin and casein, but were devoid of phospholipase A, alkaline phosphomonoesterase and phosphodiesterase activities found in the crude venom. The tosyl-L-arginine methylester esterase activity of beta-fibrinogenase was about 14 times that of crude venom, while alpha-fibrinogenase was completely devoid of this activity. The fibrinogenolytic activity of alpha-fibrinogenase was markedly inhibited by EDTA and cysteine, while that of beta-fibrinogenase was inhibited markedly by phenylmethanesulfonylfluoride. alpha- and beta-fibrinogenases exert their fibrinogenolytic activity by a direct action on fibrinogen or fibrin without activation of plasminogen.     

菜花烙铁头蛇毒金属蛋白酶Jerdonitin的分离纯化和理化性质

以前从菜花烙铁头蛇毒中分离纯化到Jerdonitin。与其他Ⅱ型蛇毒金属蛋白酶相比,Jerdonitin由金属蛋白酶和去整合素两个结构域组成。但没有检测到其出血和纤维蛋白原降解活性,推测可能高压液相色谱的有机溶液影响了其酶活性。采用不含高压液相色谱柱层析的新分离手段分离得到Jerdonitin。Jerdonitin在还原和非还原SDS—PAGE电泳中分别呈现一条表观分子量为38和36kDa的条带。像其他典型的蛇毒金属蛋白酶一样,Jerdonitin优先降解人纤维蛋白原的alpha链,并且该活性能被EDTA完全抑制,而PMSF对其没有影响。Jerdonitin不诱导小白鼠皮下出血。     

CCSV-MPase,a Novel Procoagulant Metalloproteinase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cerastes cerastes</Emphasis> Venom: Purification,Biochemical Characterization and Protein Identification

A procoagulant metalloproteinase called CCSV-MPase was purified from C. cerastes venom by successive chromatographic methods starting with gel-filtration through Sephadex G-75; ion-exchange DEAE-Cellulose A-50; affinity chromatography on Benzamidine Sepharose 6B and RP-HPLC on a C8 column. CCSV-MPase has been isolated to an extent of about tenfolds and its molecular mass was evaluated at 70 kDa by SDS–PAGE. CCSV-MPase hydrolyzes casein and fibrinogene as natural substrates. Its proteolytic activity was inhibited by EDTA and 1.10-phenanthroline, a chelators of bivalent cation metals and Zn²⁺ respectively. CCSV-MPase is therefore a Zn²⁺-metalloproteinase with fibrinogenolytic but not hemorrhagic activity. It greatly decreased levels of plasmatic fibrinogen when administered to rats for 24 h. This fibrinogenase hydrolyzes the Bβ chain of human fibrinogen in vitro releasing fibrinopeptide B only. LC MS/MS analysis of tryptic fragments of CCSV-MPase demonstrated that it showed some sequence similarities with four other venom metalloproteinases. CCSV-MPase could be considered as a potential therapeutic agent as it is a non-hemorrhagic enzyme and could be useful in thrombotic diseases because of its defibrinogenation of blood.     

Expression, purification and characterization of Gloydius shedaoensis venom gloshedobin as Hsp70 fusion protein in Pichia pastoris

Gloshedobin, a thrombin-like enzyme from the venom of Gloydius shedaoensis was expressed as Hsp70 fusion protein from the construct pPIC9K/hsp70-TLE in the yeast Pichia pastoris. By fusing gloshedobin to the C-terminus of Hsp70, an expression level of 44.5 mg Hsp70-gloshedobin per liter of culture was achieved by methanol induction. The fusion protein secreted in the culture medium was conveniently purified by two chromatographic steps: Q-Sepharose FF and Superdex 200. The purified enzyme had an apparent molecular mass of 98 kDa according to SDS–PAGE analysis, and exhibited fibrinogenolytic activity that preferentially degraded fibrinogen α-chain. The enzyme also degraded fibrinogen β-chain to a lesser extent, while showing no degradation toward the γ-chain. A fibrinogen clotting activity of 499.8 U/mg was achieved by the enzyme, which is within the range reported for other thrombin-like enzymes. Hsp70-gloshedobin had strong esterase activity toward the chromogenic substrate Nα-p-tosyl-Gly-Pro-Arg-p-nitroanilide, and this activity was optimal at pH 7.5 and 50 °C, and was completely inhibited by PMSF, but not by EDTA. We concluded that Hsp70 has no effect on the physiochemical and biochemical properties of gloshedobin. Although applying a fusion partner with very big molecular weight is unusual, Hsp70 proved its advantage in soluble expression of gloshedobin without affecting its fibrinogenolytic activity. And this positive result may provide an alternative strategy for the expression of thrombin-like enzymes in microbial system.     

Purification and characterization of a fibrinogenase from the venom of Western Diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)

A fibrinogenolytic enzyme was isolated from the venom of Western Diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) by a three-step procedure involving gel filtration and anion-exchange chromatography. The molecular weight was estimated as 22 900 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The isoelectric point was found to be pH 4.65. The enzyme rapidly destroyed the ability of bovine fibrinogen to form a clot on incubation with thrombin. Incubation of fibrinogen with the fibrinogenolytic enzyme for 5 min resulted in the disappearance of the beta-chain of fibrinogen and the appearance of lower molecular weight fragments. Thus the enzyme can be classified as a beta-fibrinogenase. However, on prolonged incubation of the fibrinogen there was also a partial digestion of the alpha-chain. The fibrinogenase showed no activity towards fibrin or casein or arginine esters. The fibrinogenolytic activity was inhibited by phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride (PMSF) but was unaffected by EDTA.     

眼镜蛇毒中一个弱纤维蛋白原水解活性金属蛋白酶的纯化和性质研究

通过蛋白层析从中华眼镜蛇毒中分离纯化出一个新的纤维蛋白原水解酶atrase A. Atrase A是一个分子量为64.6 kD,等电点为pH 9.6和中性糖含量为4.16%的碱性单链糖蛋白.它具有弱的纤维蛋白原α链水解活性.该活性能被金属螯合剂EDTA, EGTA,1,10 phenanthroline和还原剂DTT完全抑制,而PMSF只能部分抑制该活性,大豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂对其没有影响, 表明atrase A属于金属蛋白酶. Atrase A具有水肿活性和金黄色葡萄球菌抑制活性.它对A549 和K562 细胞没有细胞毒性,但能使贴壁生长的A549细胞解离悬浮. Atrase A没有纤维蛋白、azocasein 、BAEE水解活性,对ADP、胶原诱导的血小板聚集没有明确的抑制作用. 经小鼠皮下注射后没有发现其有出血毒活性.     

Purification and Characterization of a Fibrinogen-Degrading Protease in Bacteroides fragilis Strain YCH46

A novel fibrinogenolytic protease was purified from Bacteroides fragilis strain YCH46. The protease was extracted from cells by ultrasonic treatment and was purified 425-fold with a recovery of 2.1% by sequential procedures using azocasein as a substrate. The purified protease showed a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with an estimated molecular weight of 100 kDa, which was consistent with the value obtained by gel filtration, indicating a monomeric native structure. Its optimal pH, K_m, and V_max for azocasein were 7.5, 0.2%, and 286 U/min/mg, respectively. The protease activity was completely inhibited by addition of 1 mM Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, diisopropyl fluorophosphate, N-ethylmaleimide or p-chloromercuribenzoate but not by the inhibitors of metalloprotease or aspartic protease, suggesting that the enzyme is a serine-thiol-like protease. The protease hydrolyzed azocasein, casein, fibrinogen, gelatin, and azocoll, but not bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin, fibrin, fibronectin, immunoglobulins, transferrin, hemoglobin or types I, III, and IV collagen. The enzyme also hydrolyzed the chromogenic substrates alanyl-alanine p-nitroanilide, L -valyl-alanine p-nitroanilide, alanyl-alanyl-valyl-alanine p-nitroanilide, and glycyl-proline p-nitroanilide, but was inert toward L -alanine p-nitroanilide, alanyl-alanyl-alanine p-nitroanilide, and N-α-benzoyl-DL -arginine p-nitroanilide. The protease completely hydrolyzed the α-chain of fibrinogen at 37 C within 10 hr and at the same time the time required for clotting of protease-treated fibrinogen by thrombin was prolonged. The fibrinogenolytic activity of a crude extract of B. fragilis was stronger than that of other species of the Bacteroides fragilis group tested: B. ovatus, B. distasonis, B. eggerthii, B. uniformis, and B. thetaiotaomicron. These results suggest that the fibrinogenolytic protease is an important biological factor in Bacteroides infection.     

Bacteroides intermedius binds fibrinogen.

The binding of Bacteroides intermedius VPI 8944 to human fibrinogen has been characterized. The binding is time dependent, at least partially reversible, saturable, and specific. On an average, a maximum of 3,500 fibrinogen molecules bind per bacterial cell, with a dissociation constant of 1.7 X 10(-11) M. These bacteria also exhibit a fibrinogenolytic activity which can be partially inhibited by protease inhibitors. Bacteria release fibrinogenolytic activity into the surrounding medium without loss of binding activity, but more pronounced fibrinogen breakdown occurs when 125I-labeled fibrinogen is associated with the bacteria, suggesting that fibrinogen is degraded at the cell surface. Fibrinogen binding by B. intermedius might represent a mechanism of bacterial tissue adherence.     

Purification and properties of a fibrinogenase from the venom of Naja nigricollis

A fibrinogenolytic proteinase from the venom of Naja nigricollis was purified by chromatography on Bio-Rex 70 and Phenyl-Sepharose. The purified enzyme, designated proteinase F1, was homogeneous by the criterion of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and consisted of a single chain with a molecular weight of 58 000. Purified proteinase F1 had approximately 15-fold more proteinase activity than the crude venom, based on its ability to inactive α₂-macroglobulin. The enzyme acted on only the Aα-chain of fibrinogen and left the Bβ- and γ-chains intact. The pH optimum for this fibrinogenolytic activity was in the range of pH 8 to 10. In addition to its activity on fibrinogen, proteinase F1 was active on α₂-macroglobulin and fibronectin, but did not degrade casein, hemoglobin or bovine serum albumin. The enzyme was not inhibited by inhibitors of serine proteinases, cysteine proteinases or acid proteinases, but only by the metalloproteinase inhibitor, EDTA. The inhibition by EDTA could be prevented by Zn²⁺, but not by Ca²⁺ or Mg²⁺.     

Soluble expression, purification, and characterization of Gloydius shedaoensis venom gloshedobin in Escherichia coli by using fusion partners

Gloshedobin, a thrombin-like enzyme from the venom of Gloydius shedaoensis, is usually produced as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli cell. In this work, gloshedobin was separately fused with three fusion partners NusA, GST, and TrxA at its N terminus and then was expressed as fusion proteins in E. coli. The results showed that the NusA was the most efficient fusion partner to improve the solubility of recombinant gloshedobin. The purified NusA-fused gloshedobin with an overall yield of 64.6% was resolved as one band in the SDS-PAGE gel with molecular mass of about 90 kDa. Both fibrinogen clotting and fibrinogenolytic activities were found for the recombinant product. The purified NusA-fused gloshedobin exhibited amidolytic activity of 506 U/mg under optimal conditions of pH of 8.0 and 40°C. The inhibition study of NusA-fused gloshedobin by various inhibitors showed that serine protease inhibitors, phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride, and N-tosyl-l-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone, strongly inhibited its admidolytic activity, whereas ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as well as heparin and hirudin did not, suggesting that NusA-fused gloshedobin exhibited the same characteristics as the native form of gloshedobin. The strategy of this work may contribute to improve the soluble expression level of other thrombin-like enzymes from snake venom in E. coli.     

Physicochemical properties of alpha- and beta-fibrinogenases of Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom.

alpha- and beta-Fibrinogenases (EC 3.4.21.5) were purified from Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom by the technique of recycling chromatography. Both enzymes were single polypeptide chains and homogeneous as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation. The sedimentation constants of alpha- and beta-fibrinogenases were 2.52 and 3.04 respectively. The molecular weight of alpha-fibrinogenase was 21 500--23 400, and that of beta-fibrinogenase was 25 000--26 000. The contents of proline, glycine and tryptophan were higher in beta-fibrinogenase than in alpha-fibrinogenase. The isoelectric points of alpha- and beta-fibrinogenases were pH 8.1 and 5.7 respectively. The optimal pH of alpha-fibrinogenase was about 7.4 and that of beta-fibrinogenase was around 8.5. The activity of alpha-fibrinogenase was completely destroyed after 30 min at 60 degrees C, pH 5.6, 7.4 and 9.0, while that of beta-fibrinogenase was not significantly affected by the same treatment. Both enzymes showed proteolytic activities toward fibrinogen and casein, but were devoid of phospholipase A, alkaline phosphomonoesterase and phosphodiesterase activities of the crude venom. The tosyl-L-arginine methylester esterase activity of beta-fibrinogenase was about 17 times that of the crude venom, while alpha-fibrinogenase was completely devoid of this activity. The fibrinogenolytic activity of alpha-fibrinogenase was markedly inhibited by EDTA and cysteine, while that of beta-fibrinogenase was inhibited markedly by phenylmethane sulfonylfluoride and slightly by tosyl-L-lysine chloromethylketone and cysteine.     

Cloning,expression, purification and bioactivity evaluation of a thrombin-like enzyme from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Deinagkistrodon acutus</Emphasis> venom gland library

Objectives

To identify a new member of serine proteases from Deinagkistrodon acutus via phage display technique and appraise its biocatalytic activities.

Results

A novel thrombin-like enzyme gene was cloned by screening the phage display library of D. acutus venom gland. The gene has a 783 bp ORF encoding 260 amino acids. A recombinant enzyme expression vector was constructed and the fused protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. The protein was purified showing a single band of approx. 49.4 kDa after SDS-PAGE. The recombinant enzyme was capable of congealing normal human plasma in vitro with the minimum coagulant dose of 6 µg in 57 s. It exhibited fibrinogenolytic activity by hydrolyzing the Aα-chain of human fibrinogen. It was most active at pH 7.5–8.0 and 35–40 °C with the highest clotting activity of 120 NIH units/mg. It was completely inhibited by PMSF but not by EDTA. Multiple sequence alignments demonstrate that this protein shares high identity with other thrombin-like enzymes from snake venoms.

Conclusions

A novel thrombin-like protein from D. acutus venom was identified, expressed and biologically characterized in vitro. Its fibrinogenolytic properties make the enzyme applicable for biochemical research and drug development on thrombolytic therapy.

     

CatroxMP-II: a heme-modulated fibrinogenolytic metalloproteinase isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crotalus atrox</Emphasis> venom

It has been recently demonstrated that the hemotoxic venom activity of several species of snakes can be inhibited by carbon monoxide (CO) or a metheme forming agent. These and other data suggest that the biometal, heme, may be attached to venom enzymes and may be modulated by CO. A novel fibrinogenolytic metalloproteinase, named CatroxMP-II, was isolated and purified from the venom of a Crotalus atrox viper, and subjected to proteolysis and mass spectroscopy. An ion similar to the predicted singly charged m/z of heme at 617.18 was identified. Lastly, CORM-2 (tricarbonyldichlororuthenium (II) dimer, a CO releasing molecule) inhibited the fibrinogenolytic effects of CatroxMP-II on coagulation kinetics in human plasma. In conclusion, we present the first example of a snake venom metalloproteinase that is heme-bound and CO-inhibited.     

眼镜蛇毒纤维蛋白原溶解因子的纯化及理化性质的研究

经Heparin-SepharoseCL-6B亲和层析和SephadexG-150分子筛层析,从中国眼镜蛇毒(Najanajaatra)中纯化出一种可水解纤维蛋白原Aα链的蛋白酶——组分F.SDS-PAGE测得分子量为47100,为一含2%中性己糖的单肽链糖蛋白;它对纤维蛋白、酪蛋白和苯甲酰-L-精氨酸乙酯(BAEE)均无水解作用,也无激活纤溶酶原的作用;100μg皮下或皮内注射,未见出血反应。组分F对酸和热均不稳定。EDTA,EGTA,PMSF和肝素等可抑制其纤维蛋白原溶解活性,benzami-dine,aprotinin和大豆胰蛋白酶抑制因子(SBTI)则无抑制作用。     

Isolation of a proteinase with plasminogen-activating activity from Lachesis muta muta (bushmaster) snake venom

A plasminogen activator enzyme (LV-PA) from Lachesis muta muta venom was purified to homogeneity using gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography. SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions showed a single protein band with an Mr of 33,000 Da. It is an acidic glycoprotein which activates plasminogen to plasmin indirectly, functioning via prior formation of a molecular complex, known as plasminogen activator. The purified preparation catalyzes the hydrolysis of several p-nitroanilide peptide substrates containing Lys at the scissile bond. In contrast, no hydrolysis was detected on the synthetic substrates TAME and BAPNA, which contain arginine. By the use of the plasmin-specific chromogenic substrate Tos-Gly-Pro-Lys-pNA, the preparation had a plasmin-like activity of 0.68 U/mg, which was 35.8-fold higher than that of the crude venom from which it was prepared. In vitro, fibrin hydrolysis using LV-PA as plasminogen activator displayed more similarity with the effect produced by streptokinase (SK). SDS-PAGE (10%) analysis showed a 115-kDa complex formation after incubation of plasminogen with either LV-PA or SK. At a molar ratio of 50:1 (fibrinogen:enzyme), the preparation exhibited weakly fibrinogenolytic activity. However, LV-PA is distinguished from thrombin in that it does not clot fibrinogen. After incubation of LV-PA with platelet-rich plasma, the enzyme (2 microM) showed no effect on platelet aggregation induced by ADP, epinephrine, or collagen. Comparison of the N-terminal sequence of LV-PA with other snake venom plasminogen activators revealed that LV-PA exhibits a high degree of sequence identity with the TsVPA from Trimeresurus stejnegeri (90%) and with the Haly-PA from Agkistrodon halys (85%). LV-PA also has homology with other snake venom serine proteinases such as the thrombin-like/gyroxin analogue (38%) from bushmaster venom and with other coagulation serine proteases. The proteinase was readily inhibited by treatment with p-nitrophenyl p-guanidinebenzoate, p-aminobenzamidine, and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride but was not affected by metal chelators.     

Purification and characterization of jararassin-I, A thrombin-like enzyme from Bothrops jararaca snake venom

Snake venoms of the Viperidae family contain a numberof proteins that cause hemostatic disturbances. Enveno-mation of this family is characterized by hemorrhage,edema, local tissue damage, myonecrosis, fibrinolytic andkinin releasing activities [1]. In southeastern Brazil, theviper Bothrops jararaca (Viperidae) is responsible for 90%of snakebite accidents [2]. The enzymes that have proteolytic, coagulate andhemorraghic activities can activate or interfere withthe process of coagulation, and…     

Thrombin-like enzyme from the venom of Bitis gabonica. Purification, properties, and coagulant actions

Gabonase, an enzyme which acts on fibrinogen and factor XIII in uniquely thrombin-like ways, was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from the venom of Bitis gabonica. On sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis, the reduced protein behaved as a single chain with Mr = 30,600. The enzyme contains 20.6% carbohydrate, no free sulfhydryl groups and hence, from amino acid analysis, five disulfide bonds. Its extinction coefficient (E1%1cm) at 280 nm is 9.6. Its pI is 5.3. Gabonase has an active serine residue, is inactivated by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, and has an active histidine which reacts with the chloromethyl ketone of tosyl-L-lysine. Its NH2-terminal amino acid sequence (Val-Val-Gly-Gly-Ala-Glu-Cys-Lys-Ile-Asp-Gly-His-Arg-Cys-Leu-Ala-Leu-Leu -Tyr-) is homologous to the B chain of thrombin. The activity of the enzyme is stabilized by calcium ion. It exhibits strong N alpha-p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl esterase activity, hydrolyzes tripeptide nitroanilide derivatives weakly or not at all, and cleaves no peptide bonds in insulin, glucagon, or the S peptide of ribonuclease. Gabonase clots fibrinogen with a specific activity of 45 NIH thrombin-equivalent units/mg, releasing both fibrinopeptides A and B and showing substrate inhibition at fibrinogen concentrations of 3 mg/ml or greater. The enzyme also activates factor XIII. It is not inactivated by either heparin or hirudin.     

Purification and properties of a peptidase acting on a synthetic substrate for collagenase from monkey kidney.

A peptidase cleaving a synthetic substrate for collagenase, 4-phenylazobenzyloxycarbonyl-L-Pro-L-Leu-Gly-L-Pro-D-Arg (designated as PZ-peptide) has been purified extensively (about 5200-fold) from a soluble extract of monkey kidney with a view of carrying out studies on its possible physiological role. The purified PZ-peptidase appeared essentially free of collagenase, nonspecific protease and di- and tri-peptidase activities. The properties of the purified PZ-peptidase resemble very much the granuloma enzyme. It is optimally active around pH 7.0. Its apparent Km value for PZ-peptide is 0.72 mM and V is 10.1 mumol/mg protein/min. It is reversibly inhibited by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate and HgCl2, whereas iodoactetamide does not affect the enzyme activity. N-Ethylmaleimide inhibited the enzyme partially (50%). Heavy metals like Cu-2+, Cd-2+, Ag+, Pb-2+, Ni-2+, and Zn-2+ completely inhibited the enzyme activity, while the inhibition by Co-2+ was only partial. Fe-2+ did not exert any effect on the activity. The enzyme activity was completely inhibited by EDTA and was restored almost to the original value by metal ions like Mn-2+, Mg-2+, Ca-2+ and Ba-2+. The approximate molecular weight of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 56 000.     

Comparative study of three proteinases from the venom of the Chinese habu snake (Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus)

Three immunochemically distinct proteinases (P-1, 2 and 3) devoid of hemorrhagic activity were isolated from the lyophilized venom of Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus using column chromatography on Sephadex G-100, CM-Sephadex C-50, DEAE-Sephacel, CM-Cellulose and Bio-Rex 70. By these procedures, about 7.6, 7.3 and 8.2 mg of purified P-1, 2 and 3 may be obtained from 1 g of crude venom, respectively. The purified proteinases 1-3 were homogeneous by disc electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel at pH 4.3, isoelectric focusing and by the presence of one precipitin line on immunodiffusion. The isoelectric point of P-1 was 8.1; P-2, 9.2; P-3, 9.8. The molecular weights of proteinases 1-3 were determined to be 23,000, 23,500 and 23,000, by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. The purified proteinases 1-3 possessed caseinolytic and fibrinogenolytic activities. These activities were inhibited when the proteinases were incubated with the metal chelators ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 1,10-phenanthroline or cysteine, but not with egg white trypsin inhibitor (EWTI) or soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI). P-1 cleaved the B beta-chain of fibrinogen first and then the A alpha-chain, whereas P-2 and 3 cleaved the A alpha-chain first and then the B beta-chain. However, these three proteinases did not hydrolyze the gamma-chain.