Purification and characterization of a neurotoxin from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah (king cobra)

A neurotoxin, Oh9-1, from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah was isolated by a combination of ion-exchange chromatography and reverse phase HPLC. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that Oh9-1 consists of 57 amino acids and eight cysteine residues. This protein was mainly constituted with beta-sheet as evidenced by CD spectrum. Oh9-1 inhibited carbachol-induced muscle contraction in an irreversible manner and the dose for achieving 50% inhibition was approximately fourfold that of alpha-bungarotoxin. Since the residues in alpha-neurotoxins closely involve in the binding with acetylcholine receptors are not highly conserved in this toxin molecule, Oh9-1 represents a novel type of neurotoxin structurally distinct from alpha-neurotoxins.     

Purification and characterization of two acidic phospholipase A2 enzymes from king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) snake venom

1. The two major phospholipase A2 enzymes (OHPLA-DE1 and OHPLA-DE2) of king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom have been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. 2. The isoelectric points of OHPLA-DE1 and OHPLA-DE2 were 3.81 and 3.89, respectively and the Mws were 14,000 and 15,000, respectively, as estimated by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration chromatography; and 14,000 as estimated by SDS-PAGE. 3. The enzymes were not lethal to mice at a dosage of 10 micrograms/g body wt by i.v. route. Both phospholipase A2 enzymes, however, exhibited moderate edema-inducing and anti-coagulant activities. 4. Bromophenacylation of the enzymes reduced the enzymatic activity drastically but did not affect the edema-inducing activity of the enzymes.     

Substrate specificity of king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom L-amino acid oxidase

1. Substrate specificity of purified king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom L-amino acid oxidase was investigated. 2. The enzyme was highly specific for the L-enantiomer of amino acid. Effective oxidation of L-amino acid by the enzyme requires the presence of a free primary alpha-amino group but the alpha-carboxylate group is not as critical for the catalysis. 3. The enzyme was very active against L-Lys, L-Phe, L-Leu, L-Tyr, L-Tryp, L-Arg, L-Met, L-ornithine, L-norleucine and L-norvaline and moderately active against L-His, L-cystine and L-Ileu. Other L-amino acids were oxidized slowly or not oxidized. 4. The data suggest the presence of a side chain binding site in the enzyme, and that the binding site comprises at least five 'subsites': the hydrophobic subsites a, b and c; and the two 'amino' binding subsites d and e. Subsite b appears to be able to accommodate two methylene/methyl carbons.     

Purification and characterization of a novel phospholipase A2 from king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom

A novel phospholipase A₂, designated as Oh-DE-2, was isolated from the venom ofOphiophagus hannah (king cobra) by successive chromatography on SP-Sephadex C-25, DE-52, and Q-Sepharose columns. Oh-DE-2 with pI 5.1 showed an apparent molecular weight of 14 kD as revealed by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. The amino acid sequence was homologous with those of PLA₂s from Elapidae venoms. Oh-DE-2 was effectively inactivated byp-bromophenacyl bromide, indicating that the conserved His-48 is essential for its enzymatic activity. However, modification of the conserved Trp-19 did not cause a precipitous drop in the enzymatic activity of Oh-DE-2 as observed with PLA₂s fromNaja naja atra andBungarus multicinctus venoms. A quenching study showed that the microenvironment of Trp in Oh-DE-2 was inaccessible to acrylamide, iodide, or cesium, a finding which was different from those observed with PLA₂s fromN. naja atra andB. multicinctus venoms. These results might suggest that, unlike other PLA₂ enzymes, Trp-19 in Oh-DE-2 is not directly involved in its enzymatic mechanisms.     

A lethal neurotoxic protein from Indian king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom

A lethal neurotoxin protein (Toxin CM36) was isolated and purified from the Indian King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom by CM-Sephadex ion exchange chromatography and HPLC. The purified toxin had a SDS-molecular weight of 15 +/- 0.5 kD. The UV absorption spectra of Toxin CM36 showed a peak at 280 nm and an Emax at 343.8 nm, when excited at 280 nm fluorescence. Toxin CM36 had an LD50 of 3.5 microg/20 g (i.v.) in male albino mice. It exhibited neurotoxicity and produced irreversible blockade of isolated chick biventer cervicis and rat phrenic nerve diaphragm. The neurotoxicity was found to be Ca2+ dependent. Toxin CM36 had no significant effect on isolated guineapig heart and auricle. It also had no effect on blood pressure of cat and rat but produced respiratory apnoea in rat and guineapig. Toxin CM36 lacked phospholipase activity.     

Chemical modification of cationic residues in toxin a from king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom

The cationic groups of arginine and lysine residues inα-neurotoxin, Toxin a, isolated from king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom were subjected to modification with trinitrobenzene sulfonate (TNBS) andp-hydroxyphenylglyoxal (HPG), respectively. The trinitrophenylated (TNP) derivatives of Toxin a at Lys-10, 56, or 71 showed approximately 25% residual lethality, and modifications on Lys-10 and 56 or Lys-10 and 50 resulted in a decrease of lethality by 84% and 86%, respectively. Modifications on Arg-34, 37, and 70 and Arg-34, 37, and 72 in Toxin a caused a decrease in lethality by 92% and 93%, respectively, and it almost completely lost its lethality and binding activity to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) when all four arginine residues were modified. These results indicate that in addition to the cationic residues on loop II (Arg-34, 37), loop III (Lys-50, 56), and the C-terminal tail (Arg-70, 72; Lys-71), Lys-10 on loop I is also related to the neurotoxicity of Toxin a.     

Morphological basis of "growling" in the king cobra, Ophiophagus hannah.

A bioacoustic analysis is conducted on the defensive sounds produced by 21 species of snakes. The "typical" snake hiss is described as having a broad-frequency span (from roughly 3,000 to 13,000 Hertz) and a dominant frequency near 7,500 Hertz. The "growl" of the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) differs from the "typical" snake hiss in consisting solely of frequencies below 2,500 Hertz, with a dominant frequency near 600 Hertz. Structural analysis of the upper respiratory tract of O. hannah suggests that the "growl" is produced by tracheal diverticula functioning as low-frequency resonating chambers. This hypothesis is supported in several ways. An acoustic analysis of a mechanical model of the trachea demonstrates the potential for these diverticula to produce resonance effects. A "growl" also occurs in the mangrove ratsnake (Gonyosoma oxycephalum), a species that also has tracheal diverticula. Flushing the respiratory tract of G. oxycephalum with helium produces a shift of over 1,000 Hertz in the "growl," a shift that is indicative of a resonance effect.     

Genome-wide mining of microsatellites in king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) and cross-species development of tetranucleotide SSR markers in Chinese cobra (Naja atra)

Molecular Biology Reports - The complete genome sequence provides the opportunity for genome-wide and coding region analysis of SSRs in the king cobra and for cross-species identification of...     

Antibacterial action of a heat-stable form of L-amino acid oxidase isolated from king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom

The major l-amino acid oxidase (LAAO, EC 1.4.3.2) of king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom is known to be an unusual form of snake venom LAAO as it possesses unique structural features and unusual thermal stability. The antibacterial effects of king cobra venom LAAO were tested against several strains of clinical isolates including Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli using broth microdilution assay. For comparison, the antibacterial effects of several antibiotics (cefotaxime, kanamycin, tetracycline, vancomycin and penicillin) were also examined using the same conditions. King cobra venom LAAO was very effective in inhibiting the two Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus and S. epidermidis) tested, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.78μg/mL (0.006μM) and 1.56μg/mL (0.012μM) against S. aureus and S. epidermidis, respectively. The MICs are comparable to the MICs of the antibiotics tested, on a weight basis. However, the LAAO was only moderately effective against three Gram-negative bacteria tested (P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae and E. coli), with MIC ranges from 25 to 50μg/mL (0.2-0.4μM). Catalase at the concentration of 1mg/mL abolished the antibacterial effect of LAAO, indicating that the antibacterial effect of the enzyme involves generation of hydrogen peroxide. Binding studies indicated that king cobra venom LAAO binds strongly to the Gram-positive S. aureus and S. epidermidis, but less strongly to the Gram-negative E. coli and P. aeruginosa, indicating that specific binding to bacteria is important for the potent antibacterial activity of the enzyme.     

Isolation and characterization of an unusual form of L-amino acid oxidase from King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom

The L-amino acid oxidase (EC 1. 4. 3. 2) from King cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined to be 140000 when examined by gel filtration and 68000 by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme had an isoelectric point of 4.5 and an intravenous LD50 of 5 micrograms/g in mice. It is a glycoprotein and contains two moles of FAD per mole of enzyme. The enzyme exhibited unusual thermal stability and unlike most other venom L-amino acid oxidases, it was stable in alkaline solution and was not inactivated by freezing.     

Purification and characterization of a chymotrypsin inhibitor from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra)

A chymotrypsin inhibitor from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah was isolated by a combination of ion-exchange chromatography and reverse phase HPLC. Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that this protein consists of 58 amino acids, six of these being cysteine residues and is highly homologous to Kunitz-type protease inhibitors. ESI-mass spectrum showed that the protein had a mass of 6493, which is in agreement with that predicted from its primary structure. In contrast to P1 Leu, Met, Phe, Trp, and Tyr appearing in other chymotrypsin inhibitors, a P1 Asn in the novel inhibitor may cause a weak binding (Ki = 3.52 microM) with chymotrypsin. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the functional variations of the chymotrypsin inhibitor and other Kunitz-type inhibitors probably distinguish from dendrotoxins by accelerated evolution.     

眼镜王蛇三指毒素新cDNA序列的克隆及结构分析

目的:获得眼镜王蛇中多种三指毒素的新的cDNA序列,分析其结构特征,为王蛇三指 毒素基因组特征的研究及重组药物的开发奠定基础.方法:采用类似蛇种的毒素信号肽编码 序列及简并引物获得部分cDNA序列,再通过3'RACE法获得多种编码成熟三指毒素的完整新c DNA序列.通过BLAST检索,利用功能软件构建系统发生进化树进行分析.结果: 获得了眼镜 王蛇6类三指毒素共19条新基因的cDNA序列,GenBank的接收号为DQ273567～DQ273585.这 些cDNA长度都在480bp左右,彼此之间序列相似度均在70%以上,且每类毒素的cDNA都呈现高 度的序列多态性.结论:通过合理的引物设计及3'RACE法成功获得了眼镜王蛇中多种三指毒素的新的编码序列.     

Structural and Functional Characterization of a Novel Homodimeric Three-finger Neurotoxin from the Venom of Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra)

Snake venoms are a mixture of pharmacologically active proteins and polypeptides that have led to the development of molecular probes and therapeutic agents. Here, we describe the structural and functional characterization of a novel neurotoxin, haditoxin, from the venom of Ophiophagus hannah (King cobra). Haditoxin exhibited novel pharmacology with antagonism toward muscle (αβγδ) and neuronal (α₇, α₃β₂, and α₄β₂) nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) with highest affinity for α₇-nAChRs. The high resolution (1.5 Å) crystal structure revealed haditoxin to be a homodimer, like κ-neurotoxins, which target neuronal α₃β₂- and α₄β₂-nAChRs. Interestingly however, the monomeric subunits of haditoxin were composed of a three-finger protein fold typical of curaremimetic short-chain α-neurotoxins. Biochemical studies confirmed that it existed as a non-covalent dimer species in solution. Its structural similarity to short-chain α-neurotoxins and κ-neurotoxins notwithstanding, haditoxin exhibited unique blockade of α₇-nAChRs (IC₅₀ 180 nm), which is recognized by neither short-chain α-neurotoxins nor κ-neurotoxins. This is the first report of a dimeric short-chain α-neurotoxin interacting with neuronal α₇-nAChRs as well as the first homodimeric three-finger toxin to interact with muscle nAChRs.     

Occurrence of non-protein low molecular weight cardiotoxin in Indian King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) Cantor 1836, venom

Pathophysiology due to snakebite is a combined effect of various actions of the complex venom constituents. Importance of protein toxins in snake envenomation is well known. The present investigation reports the existence of nonprotein/nonpetide low molecular weight toxin in Indian King Cobra venom, which plays an important role in envenomation consequences in experimental animal models. A group of non-peptidic toxins (OH-NPT1) was isolated from Indian King Cobra Ophiophagus hannah by thin layer chromatography and silica gel column chromatography. UV, IR, NMR and (ESI) TOF-MS studies characterized the OH-NPT1 as a mixture of aliphatic acids having molecular weights 256, 326 and 340Da. The minimum lethal dose of OH-NPT1 was found to be 2.5 microg/20g (iv) and 4microg/20g (ip) in male albino mice. The cardiotoxic property of OH-NPT1 was established through studies on isolated guinea pig heart and auricle preparations, ECG studies in albino rat and estimation of LDH1/LDH and CPK-MB/CPK ratio in Swiss albino mice. Commercial antiserum failed to neutralize the lethality and cardiotoxicity of the toxin. However, calcium and magnesium effectively neutralized the lethal action.