Cobra venom contains a pool of cysteine-rich secretory proteins

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2005 Mar 4;328(1):177-82. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.12.154.

Abstract

A large family of cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs) includes proteins of different origin, the function of the majority of CRISPs being unknown. For CRISPs isolated from snake venom, two types of activities were found: two proteins blocked cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channels, several others blocked potassium-stimulated smooth muscle contraction. Thus, snake CRISPs represent potentially valuable tools for studies of ion channels, which makes promising a search for new CRISPs. Here we report on the isolation of several novel CRISPs from the venoms of Asian cobra Naja kaouthia and African cobra Naja haje using a combination of different types of liquid chromatography. Four CRISP variants were identified in N. kaouthia venom and three proteins, one of them acidic, were found in N. haje venom. Acidic CRISP was found in a reptilian venom for the first time. Our data suggest that each cobra venom contains a pool of different CRISPs.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cockroaches
  • Cysteine / chemistry*
  • Cysteine / metabolism
  • Cysteine / toxicity
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Elapid Venoms / analysis*
  • Elapid Venoms / chemistry*
  • Elapid Venoms / toxicity
  • Gryllidae
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Weight
  • Salivary Proteins and Peptides / chemistry*
  • Salivary Proteins and Peptides / metabolism*
  • Salivary Proteins and Peptides / toxicity
  • Sequence Homology
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • Elapid Venoms
  • Salivary Proteins and Peptides
  • Cysteine