Electrophoretic analysis of snake venoms.

Electrophoretic analyses were conducted on snake venoms from 21 species representing Elapidae, Crotalidae and Viperidae. Denatured and native venoms were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic (PAGE) methods with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and without SDS. Both SDS-PAGE and PAGE profiles of venoms from different snake species indicate that some proteins and polypeptide components of these venoms have common electrophoretic characteristics suggesting a genetic relationship. Conversely, the electropherograms also showed the characteristic protein and polypeptide profiles that could differentiate one snake species from another. Therefore, both SDS-PAGE and PAGE profiles suggest that proteins and polypeptides with similar characteristics abound among subspecies or related species, although each venom has a unique profile that differentiates one species from the other.     

Analysis of Brazilian snake venoms by neutron activation analysis

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been applied to multielemental determinations of Brazilian snake venoms from the species: Bothrops jararacussu, Crotalus durissus terrificus and Bothrops jararaca. Concentrations of Br, Ca, Cl, Cs, K, Mg, Na, Rb, Sb, Se and Zn have been determined in lyophilized venoms by using short and long irradiations in the IEA-RI nuclear reactor under a thermal neutron flux of 10¹¹ to 10¹³ n⁰ ·cm^–2·s^–1. The reference materials NIST bovine Liver 1577 and IUPAC Bowen's Kale were also analyzed simultaneously with the venoms to evaluate the accuracy and the reproducibility of the method. The concentrations of the elements found in snake venoms from different species were compared. The Crotalus durissus terrificus venoms presented high concentration of Se but low concentrations of Zn when these results are compared with those obtained from genera Bothrops venoms.     

Proteomics of snake venoms from Elapidae and Viperidae families by multidimensional chromatographic methods

Snake venoms contain a large number of biologically active substances and the venom components are very useful for pharmaceutical applications. Our goal is to separate and identify components of snake venoms in ten snake species from the Elapidae and Viperidae families using multidimensional chromatographic methods. The multidimensional chromatographic methods include reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), lab-on-a-chip, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), and mass spectrometry. The venoms of eight snake species demonstrated major differences in hydrophobicity, molecular weight separations, and 2-DE protein distribution patterns. The 2-DE images showed major differences between families, within each family and even between the same species. Venoms of the Elapidae family showed many basic proteins with a wide range of molecular weights, while venoms of the Viperidae family showed wide ranges of pI and molecular weights, especially for Trimeresurus sp. The multidimensional chromatographic methods revealed specific differences in venom proteins intra-species as well as between species and families. We have isolated and identified proteins that may be unique for each species for further studies in the proteome of snake venoms and their potentially use in the pharmaceutical applications.     

Isolation and characterization of ACTX-6: a cytotoxic L-amino acid oxidase from Agkistrodon acutus snake venom

The characterization of an L-amino acid oxidase purified from Agkistrodon acutus snake venom was investigated. An L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) was purified from A. acutus snake venom through DEAE Sepharose F.F. and Source 30 S chromatography. The molecular mass of this enzyme was determined by SDS-PAGE, size exclusion chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Substrate specificity, cytotoxicity, antitumor activity in vivo, and apoptosis-inducing activity were assayed. The LAAO purified from A. acutus snake venom was designated as ACTX-6. It is a covalently bound homodimer and its molecular mass is about 96 kDa. This enzyme preferred to oxidize hydrophobic L-amino acids; the best substrates were L-Met, L-Leu, L-Trp, and L-Phe. ACTX-6 demonstrated cytotoxicity in vitro and could inhibit tumor growth in vivo. Flow cytometry analysis showed that it could markedly increase accumulation of sub-G1 phase, which suggested that this enzyme could induce apoptosis. ACTX-6 could effectively inhibit tumor growth and it is a potential substance to develop into an antitumor drug.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of D-amino acid oxidase activity.

A new procedure for the assay of D-amino acid oxidase activity has been developed. alpha-Ketoisovaleric acid, derived from D-valine, was estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography after reaction with o-phenylenediamine to give the corresponding quinoxalinol derivative. alpha-Ketovaleric acid was used as an internal standard to ensure the reproducibility of the method. As an example of application, kidney cortex homogenates were analyzed for their D-amino acid oxidase activity. The advantages of the presented procedure for the determination of the enzymatic activity in biological samples compared with previously reported procedures are discussed.     

Analysis of Colubroidea snake venoms by liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry: evolutionary and toxinological implications

The evolution of the venomous function of snakes and the diversification of the toxins has been of tremendous research interest and considerable debate. It has become recently evident that the evolution of the toxins in the advanced snakes (Colubroidea) predated the evolution of the advanced, front-fanged delivery mechanisms. Historically, the venoms of snakes lacking front-fanged venom-delivery systems (conventionally grouped into the paraphyletic family Colubridae) have been largely neglected. In this study we used liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC/MS) to analyze a large number of venoms from a wide array of species representing the major advanced snake clades Atractaspididae, Colubrinae, Elapidae, Homalopsinae, Natricinae, Psammophiinae, Pseudoxyrhophiinae, Xenodontinae, and Viperidae. We also present the first sequences of toxins from Azemiops feae as well as additional toxin sequences from the Colubrinae. The large body of data on molecular masses and retention times thus assembled demonstrates a hitherto unsuspected diversity of toxins in all lineages, having implications ranging from clinical management of envenomings to venom evolution to the use of isolated toxins as leads for drug design and development. Although definitive assignment of a toxin to a protein family can only be done through demonstrated structural studies such as N-terminal sequencing, the molecular mass data complemented by LC retention information, presented here, do permit formulation of reasonable hypotheses concerning snake venom evolution and potential clinical effects to a degree not possible till now, and some hypotheses of this kind are proposed here. The data will also be useful in biodiscovery.     

Preparation of ferulic acid derivatives and evaluation of their xanthine oxidase inhibition activity

Several ferulic acid ethyl esters (3a-h) were synthesized under the Knoevengel reaction condition and they were further reduced to afford the respective allylic alcohol derivatives (4a-g). Some of them were evaluated for the xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activity. Among them, 3h exhibited a significant inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 1.35 x 10(-5) M, while the IC50 value of allopurinol used as the positive control was 1.49 x 10(-5) M. The study suggested that the higher acidity of the phenolic OH group in the ferulic acid derivatives might result in improved XO inhibitory activity.     

Evaluation of capillary zone electrophoresis for the quality control of complex biologic samples: Application to snake venoms

Snake venoms constitute a very promising resource for the development of new medicines. They are mainly composed of very complex peptide and protein mixtures, which composition may vary significantly from batch to batch. This latter consideration is a challenge for routine quality control (QC) in the pharmaceutical industry. In this paper, we report the use of capillary zone electrophoresis for the development of an analytical fingerprint methodology to assess the quality of snake venoms. The analytical fingerprint concept is being widely used for the QC of herbal drugs but rarely for venoms QC so far. CZE was chosen for its intrinsic efficiency in the separation of protein and peptide mixtures. The analytical fingerprint methodology was first developed and evaluated for a particular snake venom, Lachesis muta . Optimal analysis conditions required the use of PDADMAC capillary coating to avoid protein and peptide adsorption. Same analytical conditions were then applied to other snake venom species. Different electrophoretic profiles were obtained for each venom. Excellent repeatability and intermediate precision was observed for each batch. Analysis of different batches of the same species revealed inherent qualitative and quantitative composition variations of the venoms between individuals.     

Preparation and characterization of multipoint yeast D-amino acid oxidase mutants with improved stability and activity

D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) is an FAD-containing oxidoreductase that stereospecifically oxidases D-amino acids to produce α-keto-acids, an ammonium ion, and hydrogen peroxide. The most important biotechnological process involving DAAO is the production of 7-amino cephalospranic acid (7-ACA) from cephalosporin C. The reaction product, 7-ACA, is then used as a precursor for the synthesis of cephalosporin antibiotics of different generations. We previously obtained mutant DAAOs from the yeast Trigonopsis variabilis (TvDAAO). The mutants with point amino acid substitutions were characterized by either an increased thermal stability or improved catalytic properties in the oxidation of cephalosporin C. In the present study, we obtained two new mutant TvDAAOs with two and four amino acid substitutions, respectively. The catalytic constants of these mutant TvDAAOs for the oxidation of cephalosporin C were 1.8 and 4 times higher than the respective parameter of the wild-type enzyme (wt-TvDAAO). The combination of substitutions increased the thermal stabilities of both mutant TvDAAOs by a factor of 2–3 as compared with the wt- TvDAAO.     

Peptide fingerprinting of snake venoms by direct infusion nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry: potential use in venom identification and taxonomy

Fingerprinting by mass spectrometry has been increasingly used to study venom variations and for taxonomic analyses based on venom components. Most of these studies have concentrated on components heavier than 3 kDa, but Bothrops snake venoms contain many biologically active peptides, principally C-type natriuretic peptides and bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs). In this work, we have examined the peptide profile of Bothrops venoms (B. alternatus, B. erythromelas, B. insularis, B. jararaca, B. jararacussu, B. leucurus and B. moojeni) using direct infusion nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nano-ESI-MS) subjecting the data further to principal components analysis (PCA) to assess whether the peptide distributions are reliable in distinguishing the venoms. ESI-MS of a low molar mass fraction obtained by ultrafiltration of each venom (5 kDa nominal cutoff filters) revealed that the venoms have a variety of peptides in common but that each venom also contains taxonomic marker peptides not shared with other venoms. One BPP peptide, QGGWPRPGPEIPP, was found to be common to the seven Bothrops species examined. This peptide may represent a specific marker for this genus since it was not found in the venom of the South American rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus terrificus. PCA on the ESI-MS data reveals a close relationship between B. jararaca, B. jararacussu and B. moojeni venoms, with B. leucurus and B. erythromelas being more distant from these three; B. alternatus and B. insularis were also located distant from these five species, as was C. d. terrificus. These results agree partially with established phylogenetic relationships among these species and suggest that ESI-MS peptide fingerprinting of snake venoms coupled with PCA is a useful tool for identifying venoms and for taxonomic analyses.     

Synthesis,characterization, and ascorbic acid oxidase biomimetic catalytic activity of cobalt(III) oxime complexes

A new tetradentate tetraaza ligand was prepared via Schiff-base condensation of 3,4-diaminotoluene with 2,3-butandione monoxime in aqueous solution. This ligand coordinates cobalt(III) through nitrogen donors in equatorial positions with loss of one oxime proton with concomitant formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond. A series of cobalt(III) complexes, [CoLX₂] (X?=?Cl^?, Br^?, or I^?), [SCNCoLBr], [CNCoLBr], [BF₂CoLBr], and [YCoLBr]ClO₄ (Y?=?pyridine, thiophene, triphenylphosphine, or n-pentylamine), was synthesized. The compounds were characterized based on the elemental analysis (C, H, N), electrical conductance, magnetic moment measurements, and spectral studies (IR, ¹H NMR, and UV-Vis). Thermal stabilities of representative complexes were examined by using thermal analysis (TGA and DTG). The reported complexes are d⁶ low-spin diamagnetic and a distorted octahedral environment was proposed. All complexes undergo tetragonal distortion as evidenced by splitting of ¹T_1g and ¹T_2g levels of the pseudo-octahedral symmetry. The ligand field parameters such as Dq^E , Dq^A , and the tetragonal splitting D_t have been computed and correlated with the nature of the coordinated axial ligands. The reported cobalt(III) complexes exhibit promising catalytic activity toward aerobic oxidation of ascorbic acid to the corresponding dehydroascorbic acid. The oxidase catalytic activity is linked to both the tetragonal splitting parameter D_t and the Lewis-acidity of cobalt(III) created by the nature of the coordinated axial ligands. The probable mechanistic implications of the catalytic oxidation reactions are discussed.     

Amperometric enzyme electrodes II. Amino acid oxidase

An amperometric method based on an L-amino acid oxidase electrode has been developed for the determination of several L-amino acids. The time of measurements is less than 12 s if a kinetic method is used, and 1 min if a steady-state method is used. The only reagent required is a phosphate buffer solution.     

Synthesis,characterization and ascorbic acid oxidase mimetic catalytic activity of copper(II) picolyl hydrazone complexes

Four new picolyl hydrazones were prepared via Schiff-base condensation of picolonic acid hydrazide with α-formyl-(L¹), α-acetyl-(L²), α-benzoyl-(L³) pyridine and α-formyl-(L⁴) thiophene. Copper(II) complexes of these hydrazones and a series of copper(II) complexes containing (L²) and various anions (Cl, Br, NO₃, SCN, SO₄, ClO₄, AcO, PF₆ and BF₄) have been synthesized. Elemental, thermal analysis, molar conductivity, magnetic moment measurements and spectral (i.r., electronic and e.s.r.) studies have been used to characterize the prepared compounds. The overall structure and reactivity of the reported copper(II) chelates critically depend on the ligand structure and the nature of counter anion incorporated in the complex molecule. Octahedral [complex (7)], square-pyramidal [complex (8)] and square-planar monomeric species [complexes (1–6), (9) and (10)] and a dimeric structure with oxygen bridge in square-planar geometry [complexes (11) and (12)] were suggested. The reported copper(II) complexes exhibit promising oxidase catalytic activity towards the aerobic oxidation of vitamin C. A linear correlation exists between the oxidase catalytic activity and the Lewis-acidity of the central copper(II) ion created by the donating properties of the parent ligand, as well the irregularity of the coordination environment. The probable mechanistic implications of the catalytic oxidation reactions are discussed.     

Presence and origin of large amounts of d-proline in the urine of mutant mice lacking d-amino acid oxidase activity

Using a column-switching HPLC system combining a micro-ODS column and a chiral column, the amounts of d-proline (d-Pro) have been determined in 18 tissues, plasma and urine of mice. To avoid the enzymatic degradation of d-amino acids in vivo, a mutant mouse strain lacking d-amino acid oxidase activity (ddY/DAO⁻ mouse) was used. In the brain, relatively large amounts of d-Pro were observed in the anterior pituitary, posterior pituitary and pineal glands. In the peripheral tissues, the amounts of d-Pro were high in the pancreas and kidney. Above all, it is surprising that the ddY/DAO⁻ mice excreted large amounts of d-Pro in their urine (433 nmol/mL, 20 times that of l-Pro). The origin of d-Pro has also been investigated. By comparing germ-free mice and gnotobiotic mice, intestinal bacteria were shown to have no effect on the urinary d-Pro amount. Concerning the dietary origin, a notable amount of d-Pro was still excreted in the urine after starvation for 4 days, suggesting that some of the d-Pro is produced in the mice. Age-dependent changes in the urinary d-Pro amount have also been investigated from the postnatal 1st month up to 12 months, and ddY/DAO⁻ mice were found to excrete large amounts of d-Pro in the urine constantly throughout their lives. Kenji Hamase is Associate Professor in the Department of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kyushu University. His current research interests focus on the development of analytical methods for d-amino acids and the study of their physiological functions and diagnostic values. He received the Japanese Society for Analytical Chemistry Award for Young Scientists in 2003, and the PSJ Award for Young Scientists in 2006.     

The 3D-structural modeling of yeast D-amino acid oxidase

D-amino acid oxidase from the yeast Trigonopsis variabilis (TvDAAO) is used in the pharmaceutical industry and fine organic synthesis but for future practical applications new mutant forms of the enzyme with improved stability and catalytic properties are needed. Experiments on the crystallization of TvDAAO have been carried out for the last three decades without any success. For protein engineering of the enzyme using a rational design approach a model 3D-structure of TvDAAO was built using the homology modeling method. Cys108 and Cys298 residues were proposed for site-directed mutagenesis after analysis of the enzyme model structure.