Partial amino acid sequence and biological characterization of elegatoxin, hemorrhagic toxin from Trimeresurus elegans (Sakishimahabu) venom

J Nat Toxins. 1999 Jun;8(2):189-202.

Abstract

A hemorrhagic toxin, designated Elegatoxin, was isolated from the venom of Trimeresurus elegans using HW-55, DEAE-Sephacel, CM-Cellulose and Mono S column chromatographies. The purified toxin was shown to be homogeneous by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric electrophoresis, and Ouchterlony immunodiffusion. Elegatoxin has a molecular weight of 26,000 with an isoelectric point of 8.6. The toxin demonstrated both hemorrhagic and proteolytic activities. Hemorrhagic activity was inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethyleneglycol-bis-(2-amino-ethylether)N,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA), o-phenanthroline, and N-bromosuccinimide, but not by amidinophenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride (APMSF). The minimum hemorrhagic dose was found to be 0.8 microgram/mouse. Elegatoxin possesses proteolytic activity as evidenced by hydrolyzing type IV collagen, actin and the A alpha, B beta, and gamma chains of bovine fibrinogen. This purified toxin contains 1 mol of zinc and 2 mols of calcium per mol of protein and a partial amino acid sequence was determined. The pathological and biochemical properties of Elegatoxin were investigated, and these results are reported in this paper.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Capillary Permeability / drug effects
  • Cattle
  • Chromatography
  • Creatine Kinase / metabolism
  • Crotalid Venoms / chemistry*
  • Crotalid Venoms / isolation & purification
  • Crotalid Venoms / toxicity
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Interactions
  • Endopeptidases / chemistry*
  • Endopeptidases / pharmacology
  • Fibrinolysis / drug effects*
  • Hemorrhage / chemically induced*
  • Injections, Intramuscular
  • Mice
  • Microscopy
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Muscles / drug effects*
  • Muscles / pathology

Substances

  • Crotalid Venoms
  • Creatine Kinase
  • Endopeptidases
  • elegatoxin