Article: A cystatin-like cysteine proteinase inhibitor from venom of the African puff adder (Bitis arietans)

Venoms from eight snakes have been screened for inhibitory activity against papain, strong activity being found in that of the African puff adder, Bitis arietans. The inhibitor from B. arietans venom has been purified by affinity chromatography on carboxymethyl-papain-Sepharose and ion-exchange chromatography. The inhibitor had an apparent Mr of 13,000 in SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and pI value of 6.5 (major component) or 6.3 (minor component). Values of Ki for the inhibition of papain, cathepsin B and dipeptidyl peptidase I were 0.10, 2.7 and 0.23 nM, respectively; chicken calpain was not inhibited.

Citing Articles

Old World Vipers-A Review about Snake Venom Proteomics of Viperinae and Their Variations.

Damm M, Hempel B, Sussmuth R Toxins (Basel). 2021; 13(6).

PMID: 34204565 PMC: 8235416. DOI: 10.3390/toxins13060427.

The Anti-Angiogenic Activity of a Cystatin F Homologue from the Buccal Glands of .

Zhu M, Li B, Wang J, Xiao R Mar Drugs. 2018; 16(12).

PMID: 30501116 PMC: 6316161. DOI: 10.3390/md16120477.

Are ticks venomous animals?.

Cabezas-Cruz A, Valdes J Front Zool. 2014; 11:47.

PMID: 25006341 PMC: 4085379. DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-11-47.

Protease inhibitors from marine venomous animals and their counterparts in terrestrial venomous animals.

Mourao C, Schwartz E Mar Drugs. 2013; 11(6):2069-112.

PMID: 23771044 PMC: 3721222. DOI: 10.3390/md11062069.

Purification and characterization of a new cystatin inhibitor from Taiwan cobra (Naja naja atra) venom.

Nguyen V, Gauthier F, Moreau T Biochem J. 1998; 331 ( Pt 1):239-44.

PMID: 9512485 PMC: 1219344. DOI: 10.1042/bj3310239.

References

1.

Ritonja A, Evans H, Machleidt W, Barrett A . Amino acid sequence of a cystatin from venom of the African puff adder (Bitis arietans). Biochem J. 1987; 246(3):799-802. PMC: 1148350. DOI: 10.1042/bj2460799. View

2.

Barrett A . Human cathepsin B1. Purification and some properties of the enzyme. Biochem J. 1973; 131(4):809-22. PMC: 1177541. DOI: 10.1042/bj1310809. View

3.

Kregar I, Locnikar P, Popovic T, Suhar A, Lah T, Ritonja A . Bovine intracellular cysteine proteinases. Acta Biol Med Ger. 1981; 40(10-11):1433-8. View

4.

Anastasi A, Brown M, Kembhavi A, Nicklin M, Sayers C, Sunter D . Cystatin, a protein inhibitor of cysteine proteinases. Improved purification from egg white, characterization, and detection in chicken serum. Biochem J. 1983; 211(1):129-38. PMC: 1154336. DOI: 10.1042/bj2110129. View

5.

Green G, Kembhavi A, Davies M, Barrett A . Cystatin-like cysteine proteinase inhibitors from human liver. Biochem J. 1984; 218(3):939-46. PMC: 1153426. DOI: 10.1042/bj2180939. View

6.

Barrett A, Fritz H, Grubb A, Isemura S, Jarvinen M, Katunuma N . Nomenclature and classification of the proteins homologous with the cysteine-proteinase inhibitor chicken cystatin. Biochem J. 1986; 236(1):312. PMC: 1146824. DOI: 10.1042/bj2360312. View

7.

Nicklin M, Barrett A . Inhibition of cysteine proteinases and dipeptidyl peptidase I by egg-white cystatin. Biochem J. 1984; 223(1):245-53. PMC: 1144286. DOI: 10.1042/bj2230245. View

8.

Parkes C, Kembhavi A, Barrett A . Calpain inhibition by peptide epoxides. Biochem J. 1985; 230(2):509-16. PMC: 1152644. DOI: 10.1042/bj2300509. View

9.

Salvesen G, Parkes C, Abrahamson M, Grubb A, Barrett A . Human low-Mr kininogen contains three copies of a cystatin sequence that are divergent in structure and in inhibitory activity for cysteine proteinases. Biochem J. 1986; 234(2):429-34. PMC: 1146582. DOI: 10.1042/bj2340429. View

10.

Rich D, Brown M, Barrett A . Purification of cathepsin B by a new form of affinity chromatography. Biochem J. 1986; 235(3):731-4. PMC: 1146748. DOI: 10.1042/bj2350731. View

11.

Barrett A . Fluorimetric assays for cathepsin B and cathepsin H with methylcoumarylamide substrates. Biochem J. 1980; 187(3):909-12. PMC: 1162479. DOI: 10.1042/bj1870909. View

A Cystatin-like Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitor from Venom of the African Puff Adder (Bitis Arietans)