Fibrinolytic enzymes from the venoms of Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix and Crotalus basiliscus basiliscus: cleavage site specificity towards the alpha-chain of fibrin. 1994

A D Retzios, and F S Markland
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, School of Medicine Los Angeles 90033.

Zinc metalloproteinases with fibrinolytic activity have been isolated from the venom of Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (fibrolase) and Crotalus basiliscus basiliscus (basiliscusfibrases 1, 2 and 3). Fibrolase cleaves the A alpha-chain of fibrinogen initially at a single site: Lys413-Leu. Basiliscusfibrases 1, 2 and 3 also cleave at this site as well as others. Since cleavage in Lys-Leu locations is not common among zinc metalloproteinases, we examined the degree to which the Lys-Leu bond determines cleavage specificity and cleavage rates for these enzymes. We employed the oxidized B-chain of insulin and the following synthetic octapeptides: InsA (Leu-Val-Glu-Ala-Leu-Tyr-Leu-Val) which includes the insulin B-chain sequence around the Ala14-Leu15 bond (which is cleaved by all of the enzymes); InsK (Leu-Val-Glu-Lys-Leu-Tyr-Leu-Val) which is identical to InsA apart from the Ala4 to Lys4 substitution; and PA alpha (His-Thr-Glu-Lys-Leu-Val-Thr-Ser) which reproduces the sequence around the Lys413-Leu414 cleavage site of the A alpha-chain of fibrinogen. Results suggest that fibrolase is better adapted for cleaving the A alpha-chain at the Lys413-Leu414 locus and that cleavage specificity for the enzymes tested was not dictated by the Lys-Leu bond per se, but by the surrounding sequence.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007328 Insulin A 51-amino acid pancreatic hormone that plays a major role in the regulation of glucose metabolism, directly by suppressing endogenous glucose production (GLYCOGENOLYSIS; GLUCONEOGENESIS) and indirectly by suppressing GLUCAGON secretion and LIPOLYSIS. Native insulin is a globular protein comprised of a zinc-coordinated hexamer. Each insulin monomer containing two chains, A (21 residues) and B (30 residues), linked by two disulfide bonds. Insulin is used as a drug to control insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 1). Iletin,Insulin A Chain,Insulin B Chain,Insulin, Regular,Novolin,Sodium Insulin,Soluble Insulin,Chain, Insulin B,Insulin, Sodium,Insulin, Soluble,Regular Insulin
D007527 Isoenzymes Structurally related forms of an enzyme. Each isoenzyme has the same mechanism and classification, but differs in its chemical, physical, or immunological characteristics. Alloenzyme,Allozyme,Isoenzyme,Isozyme,Isozymes,Alloenzymes,Allozymes
D008666 Metalloendopeptidases ENDOPEPTIDASES which use a metal such as ZINC in the catalytic mechanism. Metallo-Endoproteinases,Metalloendopeptidase
D008969 Molecular Sequence Data Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories. Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D010084 Oxidation-Reduction A chemical reaction in which an electron is transferred from one molecule to another. The electron-donating molecule is the reducing agent or reductant; the electron-accepting molecule is the oxidizing agent or oxidant. Reducing and oxidizing agents function as conjugate reductant-oxidant pairs or redox pairs (Lehninger, Principles of Biochemistry, 1982, p471). Redox,Oxidation Reduction
D010446 Peptide Fragments Partial proteins formed by partial hydrolysis of complete proteins or generated through PROTEIN ENGINEERING techniques. Peptide Fragment,Fragment, Peptide,Fragments, Peptide
D003435 Crotalid Venoms Venoms from snakes of the subfamily Crotalinae or pit vipers, found mostly in the Americas. They include the rattlesnake, cottonmouth, fer-de-lance, bushmaster, and American copperhead. Their venoms contain nontoxic proteins, cardio-, hemo-, cyto-, and neurotoxins, and many enzymes, especially phospholipases A. Many of the toxins have been characterized. Bothrops Venom,Crotalidae Venoms,Pit Viper Venoms,Rattlesnake Venoms,Crotactin,Crotalid Venom,Crotalin,Crotaline Snake Venom,Crotalotoxin,Crotamin,Pit Viper Venom,Rattlesnake Venom,Snake Venom, Crotaline,Venom, Bothrops,Venom, Crotalid,Venom, Crotaline Snake,Venom, Pit Viper,Venom, Rattlesnake,Venoms, Crotalid,Venoms, Crotalidae,Venoms, Pit Viper,Venoms, Rattlesnake,Viper Venom, Pit
D005337 Fibrin A protein derived from FIBRINOGEN in the presence of THROMBIN, which forms part of the blood clot. Antithrombin I
D000595 Amino Acid Sequence The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining PROTEIN CONFORMATION. Protein Structure, Primary,Amino Acid Sequences,Sequence, Amino Acid,Sequences, Amino Acid,Primary Protein Structure,Primary Protein Structures,Protein Structures, Primary,Structure, Primary Protein,Structures, Primary Protein
D013379 Substrate Specificity A characteristic feature of enzyme activity in relation to the kind of substrate on which the enzyme or catalytic molecule reacts. Specificities, Substrate,Specificity, Substrate,Substrate Specificities

Related Publications

A D Retzios, and F S Markland
March 1995, Archives of biochemistry and biophysics,
A D Retzios, and F S Markland
September 1995, Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology,
A D Retzios, and F S Markland
January 1989, Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology,
A D Retzios, and F S Markland
December 1969, Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology,
A D Retzios, and F S Markland
January 1990, Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology,
A D Retzios, and F S Markland
January 1987, Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!