Funções Biológicas

Izidoro LF, Ribeiro MC, Souza GR, Sant'ana CD, Hamaguchi A, Homsi-Brandeburgo MI, Goulart LR, Beleboni RO, Nomizo A, Sampaio SV, Soares AM, Rodrigues VM.

In this work we describe the isolation of a new l-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) referred to as BpirLAAO-I from Bothrops pirajai snake venom, which was highly purified using a combination of molecular exclusion, affinity, and hydrophobic chromatography steps. BpirLAAO-I homodimeric acid glycoprotein (approximate Mr and pI of 130,000 and 4.9, respectively) displays high specificity toward hydrophobic/aromatic amino acids, while deglycosylation does not alter its enzymatic activity. The N-terminal LAAO sequence of its first 49 amino acids presented a high similarity between a amino acid sequence with other LAAOs from: Bothrops spp., Crotalus spp., Calloselasma rhodostoma, Agkistrodon spp., Trimeresurus spp., Pseudechis australis, Oxyuranus scutellatus, and Notechis scutatus. BpirLAAO-I induces time-dependent platelet aggregation, mouse paw edema, cytotoxic activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Leishmania sp., and tumor cells, and also a typical fago (M13mp18) DNA fragmentation. Platelet aggregation, leishmanicidal and antitumoral activities were reduced by catalase. Thus, BpirLAAO-I is a multifunctional protein with promising biotechnological and medical applications.

Samel M, Vija H, Ronnholm G, Siigur J, Kalkkinen N, Siigur E.

An L-amino acid oxidase was isolated from the venom of the common viper Vipera berus berus by a three-step procedure combining gel filtration, ion exchange and hydrophobic chromatography. The enzyme is a non-covalently bound homodimer with a monomeric molecular mass of 57.7 kDa. The N-terminal amino acid sequence and the internal peptide sequences show close structural homology with other snake venom L-amino acid oxidases. The purified protein catalyzed oxidative desamination of L-amino acids, the most specific substrate is L-Phe. The best substrates among the studied 20 amino acids were: L-Met, L-Leu, L-Phe, L-Ile, L-Arg and L-His. Five amino acids, L-Ser, L-Pro, Gly, L-Thr and L-Cys, were not oxidized. The enzyme inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation dose-dependently with an IC50 of 0.07 microM. The effect was neutralized by catalase. V. berus berus LAAO induced apoptosis in cultured HeLa and K562 cells as shown by DNA fragmentation gel pattern. The induction of apoptosis was inhibited by catalase.

Silveira, LB(1); Marcussi, S(2); Ticli, FK(3); Urzeda, MA(2); Biondo, R(2); França, SC(2); Pereira, PS(2); Soares, AM(2)

Natural And Artificial Inhibitors Of Snake Venom Phospholipases A₂

Phospholipases A₂ (PLA₂) from snake venoms induce different toxic and pharmacological effects including myotoxicity, edema, hypotension, platelet aggregation inhibition, convulsion, anticoagulation and others. Natural PLA₂ inhibitors were found in different organisms as plants, marine animals, snake and opossum plasmas. Functional characterization of natural (MMV from Taberna montana extract; manoalid A, from marine animal; heparin, from human blood; BmjMIP, from B. moojeni plasma; CAB from opossum plasma) and synthetic inhibitors (manoalid B, p-bromophenacil bromide BPB, EDTA), upon the enzymatic and pharmacological activity of PLA2 from Bothrops and Crotalus snake venome. PLA₂ was assayed in gels, while the myotoxic and edema inducing were evaluated in vivo. PrTX-I and III (from B. pirajai), BthTX-I and II (from B. jararacussu), crotoxin and CB (from C. durissus terrificus), in the presence or absence of different inhibitors, following an incubation of 30 minutes at 37ºC were used. Among the natural inhibitors, the following decreasing range of activity was observed: BmjMIP > manoalid A > CAB > heparin > MMV; for the synthetic ones, the sequence was: BPB > manoalid B > EDTA. Different levels of inhibition among PLA_2s from Bothrops and Crotalus venoms were also detected. Natural inhibitors were more efficient than synthetic ones for neutralization of the toxic and enzymatic effects induced by PLA_2s. Structural and interaction studies are needed to a better understanding of inhibitory effect in order to design new models of more potent synthetic inhibitors.

Zhao QT, Xie K, Zhang J, Miao JY.

Hemorrhagic snake venom specially induces apoptosis of VEC (vascular endothelial cells). Five apoptosis-inducing proteins had been purified and characterized from crude snake venom. Two of these are L-amino acid oxidase (LAO), the others belong to metalloprotease/disintegrin family. LAO catalyzes H2O2 production by oxidizing some plasma membrane proteins of VEC, disintegrins interfere with binding of integrins with their ligands. The expression of p53 and bcl-2 increases during VEC apoptosis induced by snake venom, moreover, the mRNA of bcl-2 is spliced into two fragments. It has been proved that one of adhesion-dependent signal molecules, alphavbeta3, and one of phospholipid signal molecules, PC-PLC (phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C), are involved in above apoptosis-inducing signal transudation pathway. These results throw light on finding out specific component from protein is snake venom. This component is able to induce tumor vascular endothelial cells apoptosis. This review summarized progress of research on hemorrhagic snake venoms.

Stabeli RG, Marcussi S, Carlos GB, Pietro RC, Selistre-de-Araujo HS, Giglio JR, Oliveira EB, Soares AM.

The isolation and biochemical/enzymatic characterization of an L-amino acid oxidase, Balt-LAAO-I, from Bothrops alternatus snake venom, is described. Balt-LAAO-I is an acidic glycoprotein, pI approximately 5.37, homodimeric, Mr approximately 123,000, whose N-terminal sequence is ADVRNPLE EFRETDYEVL. It displays a high specificity toward hydrophobic and basic amino acids, while deglycosylation does not alter its enzymatic activity. Balt-LAAO-I induces platelet aggregation and shows bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, this enzyme is slightly hemorrhagic and induces edema in the mouse paw. Balt-LAAO-I is a multifunctional enzyme with promising relevant biotechnological and medical applications.