The structural evolution of cobra venom cytotoxins

Summary In order to analyze the evolutionary behavior of the cobra venom cytotoxins, their probable tertiary structure was predicted using computer graphics. The 41 amino acid sequences known show that the major evolutionary changes have taken place in two particularly exposed areas of the molecular surface. In each area, neighboring residue positions seem to have evolved interdependently, but there is no obvious interdependence between the two areas. Indeed, the relative evolution of these two areas prompts a subdivision of the sequence set into four groups. According to the known cytotoxin circular dichroism spectra, one of these four groups could be characterized by a difference in molecular secondary structure. Sine the two variable areas have functional associations, it is suggested that their evolution may be governed by a target with several similar binding sites.     

The fusogenic properties of the cytotoxins of cobra venom in a model membrane system

By the methods of EPR spinal probes, energy migration of triplet excitation and NMR spectroscopy, the structural changes on hydrocarbon region of membranes, the changes in dynamic state of water of lipid hydrate jacket, the intermembrane lipid material exchange and fusion of membranes induced by cytotoxins of cobra venom have been studied. The sequence of events preceded the membrane fusion is suggested. The probability of membrane fusion has been shown not to be determined by fusogenic agent structure only, but much it depends on lipid composition of membranes.     

Immobilization of phospholipase A2 from Central Asian cobra venom on polyamide sorbents

The effect of the immobilization technique and the ligand nature on catalytic properties of phospholipase A2 from the cobra venom was studied. Preparations of phospholipase A2 adsorbed on and covalently bound to polyamide sorbents were obtained. The enzyme was coupled to polyamide beads modified with glutaraldehyde. In this case only 9% of the enzyme activity was retained. The enzyme adsorbed on polyamide modified with phosphatidylethanolamine retained up to 20% of the initial activity. The binding selectivity of phospholipase A2 was maximum in case of the sorbent with a binary ligand, e. g. phosphatidylethanolamine+cytotoxin, the sorbent capacity for the bound enzyme increased 2-3 times (460-600 units/g sorbent. The specific activity of the adsorbed phospholipase A2 was 17-40 units/g sorbent in contrast to 8.6 units/g sorbent for the covalently bound enzyme. Immobilization of the enzyme on polyamide sorbents resulted in changes of the pH-optimum, sensitivity to Ca2+ ions and the character of the enzyme-substrate interactions. Heart stability of the adsorbed phospholipase A2 was lower than that of the covalently bound enzyme. However, the adsorbed enzyme can be used, for example, in affinity chromatography due to its higher specific activity, selectivity and reversibility of the sorption.     

Complement-inhibiting acidic factors from the venom of Central Asian cobra Naja naja oxiana

Two anticomplementic factors isolated from the venom of the Central Asian cobra Naja naja oxiana by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B and subsequent gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 were studied. Of these, five factors (CFA-Ia, CFA-Ib, CFA-Ic, CFA-IIa and CFA-IIb), CFA-Ib had been characterized earlier, while CFA-Ia was assigned to a previously identified H-CoF factor. It was shown that CFA-Ic has a molecular mass of 3900 Da; its content in the venom amounts to 2.6 mg/g of dry venom. This factor inhibits the classical pathway of C3 convertase formation abrogating the C2 component activation by subcomponent C1s [Ki = (2.5 +/- 0.8).10(-7) M]. CFA-IIa and CFA-IIb are present in the venom in very low amounts (2 mg/g) and have Mr of 5700 and 3200 Da, respectively. The complement-inhibiting action was studied for a more active CFA-IIa. Factor CFA-IIa was shown to inactivate the native component of C2 with a rate constant, k, of (2.7 +/- 0.2).10(3) s-1M-1 (37 degrees C, pH 7.4). CFA-IIa had no effect on C2 and C2a within their complexes with C4b.     

A molecular dynamics study of the bee venom melittin in aqueous solution, in methanol, and inserted in a phospholipid bilayer

The structural properties of melittin, a small amphipathic peptide found in the bee venom, are investigated in three different environments by molecular dynamics simulation. Long simulations have been performed for monomeric melittin solvated in water, in methanol, and shorter ones for melittin inserted in a dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer. The resulting trajectories were analysed in terms of structural properties of the peptide and compared to the available NMR data. While in water and methanol solution melittin is observed to partly unfold, the peptide retains its structure when embedded in a lipid bilayer. The latter simulation shows good agreement with the experimentally derived ³J-coupling constants. Generally, it appears that higher the stability of the helical conformation of melittin, lower is the dielectric permittivity of the environment. In addition, peptide-lipid interactions were investigated showing that the C-terminus of the peptide provides an anchor to the lipid bilayer by forming hydrogen bonds with the lipid head groups.     

Binding cytotoxin molecules from the venom of the Central Asian cobra with model membranes

Binding of Central Asia cobra venom cytotoxin with model membranes prepared from mixture of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine and cardiolipin, having different values of the molar ratio of the latter in the buffer medium with low (0.01 M NaCl) and high (2.0 M NaCl) ionic strength was studied using fluorescent probe ANS (1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate). The results obtained show that the binding of cytotoxin molecule with the membrane depends not only upon its surface charge but on lipid composition as well, which determines the structural organization of the membrane.     

The interaction of bee melittin with lipid bilayer membranes

The influence of melittin and the related 8-26 peptide on the stability and electrical properties of bilayer lipid membranes is reported. Melittin, unlike the 8-26 peptide, has a dramatic influence on lipid membranes, causing rupture at dilute concentrations. The circular dichroism of melittin demonstrated that under physiological conditions, in water, melittin is in extended conformation, which is enhanced in aqueous ethanol. However in 'membrane-like' conditions it is essentially alpha-helical. Secondary structure predictions were used to locate possible alpha-helical nucleation centres and a model of melittin was built according to these predictions. It is postulated that melittin causes a wedge effect in membranes.     

Major complement inhibiting factors from the venom of the Central Asian cobra Naja naja oxiana

The properties of two anticomplementic factors isolated by CM-Sepharose chromatography from the basic non-adsorbed on DEAE-Sepharose fraction of the Central Asian cobra Naja naja oxiana venom, were studied. Of these three factors (CFB-I, CFB-II and CFB-III) the latter had been characterized earlier. CFB-I was shown to be a protein with an N-terminal Asp and a molecular mass of about 39 kDa (data from gel chromatography); its content in the venom is 3.6 mg/g of dry venom. The protein inhibits mainly the classical pathway of the complement activation, being bound to component C4 (Ki = 9 nM). CFB-I seems to be analogous to the CI inhibitor from the venom of the Naja haje cobra. An analysis of the N-terminal sequence of CFB-II showed it to be identical to the earlier characterized cytotoxin I. CFB-I inhibits the formation of C3 convertase with Ki = 2.2-2.8 microM by way of binding to C4b and thus interfering with the component C2 sorption.     

Interaction of central Asian cobra (Naja naja oxiana Eichwald) venom cytotoxins with phospholipase D

Effect of cytotoxins from the venom of Naja naja oxiana Eichwald on the hydrolytic function of phospholipase D has been further analysed. Cytotoxins in the absence of Ca2+ activated the enzyme, whereas in its presence they inhibited it. Inhibition is shown to be related to the interaction of cytotoxins with the enzyme which blocks the absorption of the enzyme at the surface of the substrate phase. Synergism in the action of cytotoxin and phospholipase D was not noticed.     

Affinity chromatography for purification of phospholipase A2 from the venom of Central Asian cobra

A method of affinity chromatography was developed for purification of phospholipase A2(PL-A2) from the Central Asian cobra venon. The enzyme was covalently coupled to a polyamide sorbent with phosphatidilethanolamine (PEA) and cytotoxin (CT). The effect of CA2+ concentration and the ion strength of the solution on the enzyme adsorption was studied. The most efficient coupling of the enzyme to the sorbent was observed at pH 8--9 in case of the Ca2+ absence and a low ion strength of the solution. For desorption of the enzyme Triton X-100 at a concentration of 0.5% should be introduced in the eluting solution. The affinity adsorption chromatography enabled the isolation of two forms of phospholipase A2 with different affinity for PEA and CT. The total yield of the enzyme was 91% at a purification degree of 5.5 and 3.5, respectively. The introduction of the second ligand (CT) in the composition of the sorbent with the phospholipid ligand allowed the authors to increase its capacity and affinity for the phospholipase A2 from the snake venom.     

Central Asian cobra venom cytotoxins-induced aggregation, permeability and fusion of liposomes

The processes of membrane aggregation, permeability and fusion induced by cytotoxins from Central Asian cobra venom were investigated by studying optical density of liposome samples, permeability of liposome membranes for ferricyanide anions and exchange of lipid material between the membranes of adjacent liposomes. Cytotoxins Vc5 and Vc1 were found to induce aggregation of PC + CL and PC + PS liposomes. Cytotoxin Vc5 increased also the permeability of the liposomes for K3[Fe(CN)6] and enhanced their fusion. Cytotoxin Vc1 increased membrane permeability and enhanced fusion of PC + CL samples only. The changes in membrane permeability and fusion were found to occur within a single value of cytotoxin concentrations. The fusogenic properties of the cytotoxins studied are supposed to be due to the ability to dehydrate membrane surface and to destabilize the lipid bilayer structure. Fusion probability is largely defined by the phospholipid composition of the membranes. A model of interaction of cytotoxins with cardiolipin-containing membranes is offered.     

Structural changes of liposome phospholipid packing induced by cytotoxin of the Central Asia cobra venom

Liposomes and proteoliposomes obtained from rat brain were used; structural changes induced by Vc5 cytotoxin (CT) from Central Asia cobra venom have been studied by the EPR method using spin probes (5-, 10-, or 12-doxylstearic acid). The addition of CT to liposome samples, containing spin probes resulted in the appearance of a new EPR signal in the initial spectrum (samples without CT), typical of probes with strongly retarded mobility. The presence of hydrophobic interaction between the CT molecules and spin labelled fat acids permits the assumption that CT molecules in liposomes trap both lipid probes and phospholipids localized in the reach of action of hydrophobic forces. CT may be supposed to induce formation in membranes of liposomes with domain structures. As a result of hydrophobic interaction with CT molecules both the phospholipid and lipid probe mobility in the domain is substantially less than that in liposome regions free of CT molecules. Due to this, a new signal appears in the initial EPR spectrum of the spin probes. An analysis of the dependence of the probe order parameter value on CT concentration in samples has suggested that CT act uniformly along the membrane lipid profile with a certain CT concentration range. At high concentrations CT molecules cannot penetrate the lipid region deep enough, due to mutual electrostatic repulsion and steric factors at membrane surface. As a result, structural changes involve regions adjacent to the membrane surface only.     

Preparation of highly-purified melittin from bee venom by an affinity chromatography method

The method of melittin (a lytic peptide from bee venom) purification is described. The method is based on application of immunosorbent with antibodies against phospholipase A2 and permits obtaining peptide without the residual phospholipase activity. It can be also used for the phospholipase A2 purification from melittin admixtures.     

Effect of phospholipases A2 from bee and cobra venom on the phospholipid composition and Na+-,K+-ATPase activity of synaptosomes

The bee and cobra venom phospholipases A2 as well as partially acetylated cobra venom phospholipase A2 are studied for their effect on phospholipid composition of synaptosomes and their Mg2+- and Na+,K+-ATPase activity. It is established that these phospholipases induce the splitting of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine, inhibition of the Na+,K+-ATPase activity and activation of Mg2+-ATPase. Bee venom phospholipase A2 is more effective than cobra venom phospholipase A2, the both phospholipases splitting phosphatidylethanolamine most intensively. The ATPase activity may be partially or completely restored by exogenic phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine; exogenic phosphatidylethanolamine is not efficient in this respect.     

The use of bee venom melittin to assess the topography of membrane vesicles derived from Paracoccus denitrificans

There exists considerable controversy regarding membrane topography in vesicles derived by osmotic lysis of spheroplasts of Gram-negative bacteria. It has been reported by others that bee venom can be used to quantitate the portion of a heterogeneous vesicle population with an inside-out orientation by determining the degree of loss of crypticity of NADH dehydrogenase activity. We have demonstrated that a major component of bee venom, melittin, causes an increase in the activity of several different respiratory enzymes in isolated membrane vesicles of Paracoccus denitrificans. The degree of stimulation produced by melittin is dependent upon (i) the nature of the respiratory substrates, (ii) the pH, (iii) the presence of Mg2+, (iv) the melittin: membrane protein ratio, and (v) the growth history of the cells from which the membrane vesicles were derived. Melittin-induced enhancement of TMPD:ascorbate and cytochrome c oxidase activities cannot be accounted for by increased accessibility of nonpermeant substrate to the interior of the vesicle. The stimulatory effect of melittin may rely in part on its ability to alter the proton permeability of the membrane thereby abolishing respiratory control. Collectively these observations call into question the usefulness of bee venom melittin in quantitative analyses of membrane topography. These results are consistent with the postulated existence of a homogeneous vesicle population in which the topography of the NADH dehydrogenase is different from that of the intact cell.