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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2010-2-15
pubmed:abstractText
Phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)) are major components of snake venoms, exerting a variety of relevant toxic actions such as neurotoxicity and myotoxicity, among others. Since the majority of toxic PLA(2)s are basic proteins, acidic isoforms and their possible roles in venoms are less understood. In this study, an acidic enzyme (BaspPLA(2)-II) was isolated from the venom of Bothrops asper (Pacific region of Costa Rica) and characterized. BaspPLA(2)-II is monomeric, with a mass of 14,212 +/- 6 Da and a pI of 4.9. Its complete sequence of 124 amino acids was deduced through cDNA and protein sequencing, showing that it belongs to the Asp49 group of catalytically active enzymes. In vivo and in vitro assays demonstrated that BaspPLA(2)-II, in contrast to the basic Asp49 counterparts present in the same venom, lacks myotoxic, cytotoxic, and anticoagulant activities. BaspPLA(2)-II also differed from other acidic PLA(2)s described in Bothrops spp. venoms, as it did not show hypotensive and anti-platelet aggregation activities. Furthermore, this enzyme was not lethal to mice at intravenous doses up to 100 microg (5.9 microg/g), indicating its lack of neurotoxic activity. The only toxic effect recorded in vivo was a moderate induction of local edema. Therefore, the toxicological characteristics of BaspPLA(2)-II suggest that it does not play a key role in the pathophysiology of envenomings by B. asper, and that its purpose might be restricted to digestive functions. Immunochemical analyses using antibodies raised against BaspPLA(2)-II revealed that acidic and basic PLA(2)s form two different antigenic groups in B. asper venom.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
1638-6183
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
92
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
273-83
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2010
pubmed:articleTitle
Isolation of an acidic phospholipase A2 from the venom of the snake Bothrops asper of Costa Rica: biochemical and toxicological characterization.
pubmed:affiliation
Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't