A non-toxic anticoagulant metalloprotease: purification and characterization from Indian cobra ( Naja naja naja) venom

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 667 - 675
• Main Authors: Jagadeesha, D.K., Shashidhara murthy, R., Girish, K.S., Kemparaju, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animal poisons toxicology. Antivenoms; Animals; Anticoagulant protease; Anticoagulants - isolation & purification; Anticoagulants - toxicity; Biological and medical sciences; Blood. Blood coagulation. Reticuloendothelial system; Calcium - analysis; Chromatography, Gel; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cobra venom protease; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Elapid Venoms - enzymology; Elapidae; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Fibrinogenase; Humans; Hydrolysis; Lethal Dose 50; Medical sciences; Metalloendopeptidases - isolation & purification; Metalloendopeptidases - toxicity; Metalloprotease; Mice; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Snake venom protease; Toxicology; Zinc - analysis; Metalloprotease; Snake venom protease; Cobra venom protease; Anticoagulant protease; Fibrinogenase; Toxicity; Body weight; Metalloendopeptidases; Anticoagulant; Hemorrhage; Characterization; Enzymatic activity; Fibrinogen; Electrophoresis; Molecular mass; Purification; Enzyme; Rodentia; Animal origin; Biological activity; Ophidia; Peptidases; Vertebrata; Striated muscle disease; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Venom; Hydrolases; Reptilia; Naja naja
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/S0041-0101(01)00216-1

A non-toxic potent anticoagulant metalloprotease NN-PF 3 has been purified to homogeneity from the Indian cobra ( Naja naja naja) venom through a combination of column chromatography and electrophoresis. NN-PF 3 is a single chain protein with a molecular weight of 68 kDa by SDS–PAGE. It hydrolysed casein, gelatin, haemoglobin and bovine fibrinogen, but did not hydrolyse bovine serum albumin or synthetic substrates such as TAME, BAEE and BAPNA. EDTA, EGTA and cyanide inhibited the enzymatic activity while 1,10-phenanthroline, PMSF, leupetin and pepstatin did not show any effect. NN-PF 3 is a metalloprotease containing Ca 2+ and Zn 2+ at a molar ratio of 1:1.2 and 1:0.4, respectively, as revealed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. NN-PF 3 was non-lethal up to an i.p. dose of 15 mg/kg body weight of mice and is devoid of myotoxicity, cytotoxicity and haemorrhagic activity. It is weakly oedematic, but strongly anticoagulant in property and the effect observed was both dose and time dependent.