Low molecular weight factor X activator from Cerastes vipera (Sahara sand viper) venom

Comparative study of anticoagulant and procoagulant properties of 28 snake venoms from families Elapidae, Viperidae, and purified Russell's viper venom-factor X activator (RVV-X)

Snake venoms consist of numerous molecules with diverse biological functions used for capturing prey. Each component of venom has a specific target, and alters the biological function of its target. Once these molecules are identified, characterized, and cloned; they could have medical applications. The activated clotting time (ACT) and clot rate were used for screening procoagulant and anticoagulant properties of 28 snake venoms. Crude venoms from Daboia russellii siamensis, Bothrops asper, Bothrops moojeni, and one Crotalus oreganus helleri from Wrightwood, CA, had procoagulant activity. These venoms induced a significant shortening of the ACT and showed a significant increase in the clot rate when compared to the negative control. Factor X activator activity was also measured in 28 venoms, and D. r. siamensis venom was 5-6 times higher than those of B. asper, B. moojeni, and C. o. helleri from Wrightwood County. Russell's viper venom-factor X activator (RVV-X) was purified from D. r. siamensis venom, and then procoagulant activity was evaluated by the ACT and clot rate. Other venoms, Crotalus atrox and two Naja pallida, had anticoagulant activity. A significant increase in the ACT and a significant decrease in the clot rate were observed after the addition of these venoms; therefore, the venoms were considered to have anticoagulant activity. Venoms from the same species did not always have the same ACT and clot rate profiles, but the profiles were an excellent way to identify procoagulant and anticoagulant activities in snake venoms.

Effects of temperature, pH, and inhibitors on the procoagulant characterization of FIa, a factor X activator from the venom of Daboia russellii siamensis (Myanmar)

FIa, a factor X activator, was isolated from the venom of Daboia russellii siamensis (Myanmar) after a series of chromatographic separations. FIa displayed procoagulant activity by shortening plasma recalcification time and converted human factor X (FX) to activated human factor X (FXa) by cleaving the heavy FX chain, possibly at the Arg51-Ile52 peptide. FIa was positive in a glycoprotein staining test, demonstrating that it is a glycoprotein. Optimal temperature and pH values were important for FIa procoagulant activity. Procoagulant activity was maintained above 85% of the initial activity at pH 7.0 approximately 8.0, and showed equally maximum activity at temperatures ranging from 30 to 50 degrees C. In addition, FIa procoagulant activity was completely inhibited by EDTA (5 mM), but not by PMSF (10 mM), suggesting that it is a metalloproteinase.

Metalloproteinase with factor X activating and fibrinogenolytic activities from Vipera berus berus venom

We have previously shown that Vipera berus berus venom contains several factor X activating enzymes. In the present study we have investigated one of them. The enzyme was separated from venom by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 superfine and chromatography on agarose HPS-7 and phenyl-agarose. The enzyme is a glycosylated metalloproteinase containing hexoses, hexosamines and neuraminic acid. The purified factor X activating enzyme consists of two equal chains (59 kDa). The specificity studies have shown that enzyme is nonspecific factor X activating proteinase hydrolysing also proteins such as azocasein, gelatin and fibrinogen. The enzyme hydrolyses oxidized insulin B-chain at the positions Ala(14)-Leu(15) and Tyr(16)-Leu(17) but it is inactive on fibrin, plasminogen and prothrombin. We used 8-10 amino acid residues containing peptides, which reproduce the sequence around the cleavage sites in factor X, factor IX and fibrinogen, as potential substrates for enzyme. Cleavage products of peptide hydrolysis were determined by MALDI-TOF MS. The peptide Asn-Asn-Leu-Thr-Arg-Ile-Val-Gly-Gly-factor X fragment was cleaved by enzyme at positions Leu(3)-Thr(4) and Arg(5)-Ile(6). The fibrinogen peptide fragment Glu-Tyr-His-Thr-Glu-Lys-Leu-Val-Thr-Ser was hydrolysed at position Lys(6)-Leu(7).

Factor X activator from Vipera lebetina snake venom, molecular characterization and substrate specificity

Our studies of the venom from the Levantine viper Vipera lebetina have demonstrated the existence of both coagulants and anticoagulants of the hemostatic system in the same venom. We showed that V. lebetina venom contains factor X activator (VLFXA) and factor V activator, fibrinolytic enzymes. VLFXA was separated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 superfine and ion exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose and on TSK-DEAE (for HPLC) columns. VLFXA is a glycoprotein composed of a heavy chain (57.5 kDa) and two light chains (17.4 kDa and 14.5 kDa) linked by disulfide bonds. VLFXA has multiple molecular forms distinguished by their isoelectric points. The differences in their pI values may be caused by dissimilarities in the respective charged carbohydrate content or in the primary sequence of amino acids. We synthesized 6-9 amino acid residues containing peptides according to physiological cleavage regions of human factor X and human factor IX. The peptides (Asn-Asn-Leu-Thr-Arg-Ile-Val-Gly-Gly - factor X fragment, and Asn-Asp-Phe-Thr-Arg-Val-Val-Gly-Gly - factor IX fragment) were used as substrates for direct assay of VLFXA. Cleavage products of peptide hydrolysis and the molecular masses of cleavage products of human factor X were determined by MALDI-TOF MS. The MALDI-TOF MS was highly efficient for the recovery and identification of peptides released by VLFXA hydrolysis. We can conclude that VLFXA cleaves the Arg(52)-Ile(53) bond in the heavy chain of human factor X and the Arg(226)-Val(227) bond in human factor IX precursor. VLFXA could not activate prothrombin nor had any effect on fibrinogen, and it had no arginine esterase activity toward benzoylarginine ethyl ester.

Snake venom activators of factor X: an overview

Activators of blood coagulation factor X have been described in the venom of many snake species belonging to the genus Viperidae and Crotalidae as well as from a few Elapid species. Based on the structural and functional properties of purified activating principles, factor X activators are either metalloproteases or serine proteases. The best known activator is RVV-X from Russell's viper (Daboia russelli), a metalloprotease consisting of a heavy chain containing the catalytic domain and two light chains which share homology with C-type lectins and which are thought to exert a regulatory function in the Ca(2+)-dependent activation of factor X. This activator is also one of the best examples of the use of exogenous activators in coagulation research and in addition it is used in many diagnostic research kits. In this paper, an overview is given of the structural and functional properties of snake venom factor X activators thus far described in the literature.

An in vitro and in vivo study of some biological and biochemical effects of Sistrurus Malarius Barbouri venom

Some possible biological and biochemical effects of Sistrurus Malarius Barbouri (SMB) crude venom were investigated. The acute median lethal doses of the venom under investigation were found to be 14.4 and 9.72 microg/g body weight (b.w.), respectively, in rats on i.p. administration. The possible neurotoxicity of acute, subchronic and chronic doses was investigated in-vivo and in-vitro. The venom at a dose level of 2 microg/g b.w. significantly impaired motor coordination, learning and retention, spontaneous activity and produced behavioural changes, muscle weakness and loss of righting reflex in mice. The same dose also produced a significant decrease in body temperature and inhibited acetylcholine-induced contraction of the isolated smooth (rabbit intestine) and skeletal (frog rectus abdominis) muscles and impaired transmission at the nerve muscle synapse of the rat phrenic nerve diaphragm preparation. The effects of the acute sublethal and chronic doses on carbohydrate metabolism revealed a hyperglycemic effect associated with a diminution of liver and muscle glycogen, while its effects on blood electrolytes (sodium and potassium) showed a significant elevation in the blood sodium level and a significant reduction in that of potassium. Serum enzymes were also affected. Levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were moderately increased. The crude venom had an aggregatory effect on platelets and had also a phospholipase A2 activity while, on the other hand, it showed no L-amino acid oxidase activity. Testing of the effect of the venom on the plasma recalcification time showed that the venom had an anticoagulant effect in case of high dose (200 microg), while a coagulant effect was produced at a low dose of the venom (2.5 microg). SMB venom at a dose level of 1.94 microg/g b.w. (LD10) was found to exhibit no significant inhibitory effect on tumor growth when injected into mice.

Purification of a 5-HT uptake inhibitor from the venom of Cerastes vipera

A protein that inhibits the re-uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine into rat brain synaptosomes was isolated from the venom of the Sahara sand viper (Cerastes vipera) by gel filtration and reverse phase chromatography. It has a molecular weight of 13,739 Da and an IC50 of about 50 nM for blocking uptake of 3H-5-HT into rat brain synaptosomes. It also augmented the responses to 5-HT in a smooth muscle preparation. It has phospholipase A2 activity, but it has no lytic activity as measured by its inability to release lactate dehydrogenase from rat brain synaptosomes. Determination of the N-terminal sequence revealed a similarity with a phospholipase A2 previously isolated from Cerastes cerastes venom.

Prothrombin and factor X activator activities in the venoms of Viperidae snakes

A Ca(2+)-dependent prothrombin activator, carinactivase-1 (CA-1), was previously found in the venom of Echis carinatus leucogaster. In the present study, the activities of CA-1-like enzymes were screened in the venoms of various Viperidae snakes. The addition of 1 mM Ca2+ ions to the venoms of only Echis snakes in Viperidae produced considerably high prothrombin activator activity, indicating that only the Echis snake venoms contain not only the Ca(2+)-independent prothrombin activator, ecarin, but also Ca(2+)-dependent activator(s). CA-1-like activators and ecarin in the venom of each Echis snake were efficiently separated by Blue Sepharose column chromatography. The venoms of the various Viperidae snakes were also examined for factor X activator activity. The venoms of genera Daboia, Vipera, Cerastes, Echis, Calloselasma and Bothrops contained factor X activator activity in the presence of Ca2+ ions. Cerastes cerastes and Calloselasma rhodostoma venoms also had Ca(2+)-independent factor X activator activity.

Activation of blood coagulation factor X by arginine-specific cysteine proteinases (gingipain-Rs) from Porphyromonas gingivalis

The effect of two arginine-specific cysteine proteinases (gingipain Rs) from Porphyromonas gingivalis, a causative bacterium of adult periodontitis, on human blood coagulation was investigated. Activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time were shortened by these proteinases, with a 95-kDa gingipain R containing adhesin domains being 5-fold more efficient in comparison to a 50-kDa gingipain R containing the catalytic domain alone. The 50-kDa enzyme reduced each coagulation time in several plasmas deficient in various coagulation factors, while it was ineffective in factor X-deficient plasma unless reconstituted with this protein. Each proteinase activated factor X in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with Michaelis constants (Km) being found to be lower than the normal plasma factor X concentration, strongly suggesting that factor X activation by gingipain Rs, especially the 95-kDa form which is strongly activated by phospholipids, could occur in plasma. This is the first report of factor X activation by bacterial proteinases and indicates that the gingipain Rs could be responsible for the production of thrombin and, indirectly, with the generation of prostaglandins, interleukin-1, etc., which have been found to be associated with the development of periodontitis induced by P. gingivalis infections. Furthermore, the data support the hypothesis that induction of blood coagulation by bacterial proteinases may be a causative agent in the pathogenesis of disseminated intravascular coagulation in sepsis.

Medium molecular weight factor X activating enzyme from Vipera berus berus venom

Vipera berus berus venom contains several factor X activating enzymes. One of them (VBFXAE) was separated by gel-filtration on Sephadex G-100 superfine and on a bacitracin-agarose column. The enzyme is a single-chain glycoprotein with mol. wt 38,000. The enzyme has several molecular forms with pI 3.5-4.5. After neuraminidase treatment the enzyme has pI 4.5. VBFXAE contains 2 Ca per mole. The activator is inactive on synthetic substrates, on casein, prothrombin, and fibrinogen, and appears to act specifically on factor X. The activator also weakly hydrolyses the insulin B-chain at the positions Ala14-Leu15 and Tyr16-Leu17. The cleavage of the insulin B-chain is inhibited by EDTA, suggesting the metalloproteinase nature of the enzyme.