Fast protein liquid chromatography of Echis carinatus venom

Characterization of the snake venoms from seven Brazilian species of Bothrops by FPLC anion-exchange chromatography

1. The elution profiles and the caseinolytic, myotoxic, coagulant and hemorrhagic activities of the venoms of seven Bothrops species fractionated on a Mono-Q FPLC column were analyzed. 2. Each venom separated into 16-20 peaks, with good reproducibility and the activities were concentrated in virtually discrete regions of the chromatogram. 3. There is a considerable overlap of active proteins in the different species venoms and our results indicate that a venom pool with the species B. jararaca, B. jararacussu, B. moojeni, B. neuwiedi and B. atrox venoms would contain the major active proteins determined in the seven species.

Fibrinopeptide-releasing enzymes in the venom from the southern copperhead snake (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix)

Protein fractionation techniques utilizing the different properties of the sample (size, charge, sugar moiety) were employed to characterize the crude A. c. contortrix venom. Gel filtration chromatography resolved about six to eight peaks, high performance liquid ion exchange chromatography and chromatofocusing about 12-14 peaks exhibiting hydrolytic activity. Two fibrin clot-promoting enzymes--both releasing fibrinopeptides A and fibrinopeptides B, but with different fibrinopeptide A/fibrinopeptide B relative rates were observed. The two enzymes (or enzyme isoforms) were serine proteinases with essentially the same hydrolytic activity towards low molecular chromogenic substrate for thrombin. They were of approximately the same size (one peak of 68,000 relative mol.wt on gel filtration chromatography), had apparent isoelectric points of about 6.4 and 5.4, respectively, and were glycoproteins.