Purification of a kininogenase from the venom of Agkistrodon caliginosus (Kankoku-Mamushi)

During the isolation of a capillary permeability-increasing enzyme from the venom of A. caliginosus, a kininogenase was also purified from the venom by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, ion-exchange chromatographies on CM-Sephadex C-50 and DEAE-Sephadex A-50, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75. By this procedure, 11 mg of the purified enzyme were obtained from 4 g of the venom. The purified enzyme was homogeneous by polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis at pH 8.3 and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and did not show any caseinolytic or clotting activity. The purified enzyme released bradykinin from purified bovine high mol.wt kininogen. The capillary permeability was increased by injection of the purified enzyme into the depilated skin of the back of a rabbit. It is supposed that the capillary permeability-increasing activity exerted by the enzyme is due to the release of bradykinin.     

Identification of human lung mast cell kininogenase as tryptase and relevance of tryptase kininogenase activity

We have described previously the IgE-mediated release of kininogenase activity from purified human lung mast cells. Using supernatant fractions from mast cells stimulated with anti-IgE in the presence of deuterium oxide, we have purified this kininogenase to homogeneity by gel filtration and heparin-agarose chromatography and have demonstrated that it is identical to tryptase, the major neutral protease of human lung mast cells. Thus, tryptase and kininogenase activities co-chromatographed through both purification steps with equivalent yields. The final purified kininogenase was free of detectable chymotryptic and carboxypeptidase activities and was identified as tryptase on the basis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), amino acid composition and inhibition profile. Three such preparations of tryptase were all capable of releasing kinin from each of two different preparations of purified, single-chain, human low molecular weight kininogen. Interestingly, kinin generation was optimal at pH 5.5 and was enhanced by heparin, which has been reported to stabilize tryptase. SDS-PAGE analysis of kininogen hydrolysis by tryptase revealed the formation of a diffusely stained region in the molecular weight range of 60,000-65,000, rather than a discrete heavy chain band. Under optimal conditions, the three tryptase preparations released 10-12 micrograms kinin/hr/mg but released only 2 micrograms kinin/hr/mg at pH 7.2. HPLC analysis revealed that the kinin released was bradykinin. We conclude that the kininogenase activity from human lung mast cells is attributable to tryptase. The unique pH optimum of this reaction of a serine protease, however, raises doubts as to the physiologic significance of this activity.     

Thrombin-like enzyme, flavovilase, with kinin-releasing activity from Trimeresurus flavoviridis (habu) venom

A thrombin-like enzyme, flavovilase, with kinin-releasing activity was isolated, purified, and characterized from the venom of Trimeresurus flavoviridis (habu) using Sephadex G-100, DEAE-Cellulose, and CM-Cellulose column chromatographies. The final preparation was homogeneous as demonstrated by a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and isoelectric focusing electrophoresis. The enzyme possesses a molecular weight of 26,500, an isoelectric point of 5.0, and consists of 247 total amino acid residues. Specific electrolytic activities of this enzyme on N-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME) and N-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester (BAEE) were determined to be 50.9 and 17.4 micromol/min/mg, respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by p-APMSF (p-amidinophenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride), beta-mercaptoethanol, and N-bromosuccinimide. Additionally, the enzyme was found stable to heat treatment. It was also observed that the enzyme cleaved a kininogen analog with the release of bradykinin.     

Purification and properties of a kininogenin from the venom of Lachesis muta (bushmaster).

An acidic kininogenin from Lachesis muta snake venom was purified to apparent homogeneity by a combination of gel filtration, isoelectric focusing and preparative gel electrophoresis. It was shown to be a highly stable serine protease (mol. wt 27,900; pI 5.4) capable of releasing bradykinin from low mol. wt bovine kininogen and of cleaving some synthetic chromogenic peptides with the following catalytic efficiencies (Kcat/Km, M-1.sec-1): N-benzoyl-Phe-Val-Arg-p-nitroanilide (1.92 x 10(4)); H-D-Val-Leu-Arg-p-nitroanilide (1.55 x 10(4)); N-acetyl-Phe-Arg-p-nitroanilide (3.98 x 10(2)); no hydrolysis was observed with N-benzoyl-Arg-p-nitroanilide. A marked and sustained hypotensive effect was recorded following i.v. injection of purified kininogenin into rats. Tachyphylaxis was observed after repeated i.v. injection of the enzyme, a phenomenon accompanied by a decrease of only 15% in the total circulating rat kininogen. Both the in vivo action and the enzymatic properties of the L. muta kininogenin indicate that this enzyme might be helpful for understanding the kinin-kininogen system.     

Purification and characterization of a thrombin-like enzyme, elegaxobin, from the venom of Trimeresurus elegans (Sakishima-habu).

A thrombin-like enzyme, named elegaxobin, was purified from the venom of Trimeresurus elegans (Sakishima-habu) by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, and ion-exchange chromatographies on Q-Sepharose Fast Flow and S-Sepharose Fast Flow. By this procedure, about 8.5 mg of purified enzyme was obtained from 1.1 g of the venom. The purified enzyme showed a single protein band in SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis under reducing condition and its molecular weight is 30,000. The specific activity of this enzyme toward tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME) was 490 TAME units/mg of protein. Elegaxobin clotted only rabbit fibrinogen whereas human and bovine fibrinogens were unaffected. In the fibrinogen-fibrin convertion, the enzyme released only fibrinopeptide A from rabbit fibrinogen, whereas fibrinopeptide B was not released. The N-terminal sequences (Val-Ile-Gly-Gly) of this enzyme was identical to typical sequence of serine proteinases.     

Physiological and biochemical properties of A kallikrein-like enzyme from the venom of Vipera aspis aspis (aspic viper)

and . Physiological and biochemical properties of a kallikrein-like enzyme from the venom of Vipera aspis aspis (aspic viper), Toxicon 26, 1193–1204, 1988.—A kallikrein-like enzyme was isolated from the venom of Vipera aspis aspis by Sephadex G-75, Q-Sepharose and Heparin-Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography. The purified enzyme is a glycoprotein with a mol.wt of 43,000 and an isoelectric point of 4.1. The enzyme possesses arginine ester hydrolase activity, but no proteolytic activity against either dimethylcasein or fibrinogen. The reaction mixture of the enzyme and bovine plasma induced contraction of the isolated rat uterus, suggesting that the enzyme releases kinin from the plasma constituent. The amount of enzyme, which releases an equal amount of kinin corresponding to 1 nmole of bradykinin per min, is 2.36 mg. Additionally, the kallikrein-like enzyme demonstrated capillary permeability-increasing activity and hypotensive activity. A synthetic kininogen analog, Ser-Leu-Met-Lys-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe-Ser-Pro-Phe-Arg-Ser-Val-Gln-Val-Ser, was cleaved by the enzyme to release bradykinin and kallidin, also indicating that the enzyme has a kallikrein-like activity. Uterine contraction, capillary permeability-increasing activity and arginine ester hydrolase activity were inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate, suggesting that the serine hydroxyl group is essential for enzymatic and biological activities. Antithrombin III and heparin, serine-protease inhibitors found in plasma had no inhibitory effect on these activities of the purified enzyme. The amino acid sequence of the NH₂ terminal region of the enzyme has similarities with kallikrein-like enzynes from other snake venoms and with porcine pancreatic kallikrein.     

Rodent kinin-forming enzyme systems--II. Purification and characterization of an acid protease from Murphy-Sturm lymphosarcoma

An acid protease from the rat Murphy-Sturm lymphosarcoma (MSLS) tumor was purified 640-fold by extraction of the tumor tissue, acid precipitation with glacial acetic acid, ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 batch adsorption, QAE-Sephadex A-50 column chromatography, Sephadex G-200 gel filtration, and CM-32 cellulose chromatography. The protease hydrolyzed bovine hemoglobin and formed vasopeptide kinins when incubated with purified rat plasma kininogen. Two protease fractions obtained by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration had identical molecular weights of 39,500-41,000 and were similar in other physico-chemical and kinetic characteristics. The purified enzyme showed three major isozymic forms (alpha, beta and gamma) with isoelectric points (pI) of 5.2, 5.5 and 5.8, respectively, and nearly identical amino acid compositions. The enzyme had a high moles percent of both aspartic and glutamic acids. The carbohydrate moiety of the enzyme contained 2 moles of N-acetylglucosamine and 8 moles of mannose per mole of enzyme. The pH optimum for the digestion of bovine hemoglobin was approximately 3.0 with a sharp decline of activity on either side of the pH optimum. The protease activity was very stable above pH 3.4. The Km values for the purified enzyme fractions A and B were 31.17 and 31.19 microM, respectively, and the corresponding Vmax values were 6.17 and 5.5 microM tyrosine per mg per min at 37 degrees and pH 3.0. The enzyme was inhibited strongly by pepstatin (Ki = 31 X 10(-9)M and alpha = 0.1). The acid protease released kinin from purified rat plasma kininogen at an initial rapid rate which plateaued at 460 ng bradykinin equivalents/mg substrate after a 2-hr incubation at 37 degrees.     

Purification and characterization of a new platelet aggregation inhibitor with dissociative effect on ADP-induced platelet aggregation, from the venom of Protobothrops elegans (Sakishima-habu)

A platelet aggregation inhibitor, named snake venom platelet aggregation dissociator (SV-PAD)-1, with a dissociative reaction of ADP-induced platelet aggregation, was purified from the venom of Protobothrops elegans (Sakishima-habu) by gel-filtration employing Sephadex G-100, and ion-exchange chromatographies using DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow, CM-Sepharose Fast Flow, and Mono S. By this procedure, about 1.5 mg of purified protein was obtained from 1.0 g of P. elegans venom. The purified protein showed a single protein band and the molecular weight was about 110 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under reducing conditions. The pI of purified protein showed four-bands of 7.7, 7.8, 7.95, and 8.15. This protein strongly inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation in rabbit platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and its IC₅₀ was about 58 nM. It inhibited ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation in rabbit PRP (IC₅₀: 100 nM), but hardly blocked collagen-induced platelet aggregation. This protein promptly dissociated platelet aggregation in rabbit PRP stimulated by high-concentration ADP.     

Separation of Kininogens by Gel Filtration of Plasminogen–free Human Plasma

Abstract High molecular weight kininogen (S1) is useful as a sensitive substrate in assays of the kininogenase activity of plasma kallikrein, but considerable difficulties are encountered in the isolation of this kininogen due to loss by “spontaneous” activation. In the present work a satisfactory yield (40–60 %) of a crude preparation of S1 was obtained through gel chromatography on Sephadex G–200 of plasminogen–free 60°-heated human citrated plasma. Low molecular weight kininogen (S2) was also obtained by the same procedure. The two kininogen preparations did not contain significant amounts of inhibitors of human plasma kallikrein, hog pancreas kallikrein or human plasmin, as judged by the stability of the arginyl–esterase activities of these enzymes in contact with the kininogens. Both S1 and S2 were stable for at least one year when stored at -20°. A preparation of human plasma kallikrein reacted specifically with S1, while both hog pancreas kallikrein and human plasmin also reacted with S2. The quantitative data are in accordance with the assumption that hog pancreas kallikrein and plasmin release bradykinin from S1 and kallidin from S2. The rate of release of kinin produced by hog pancreas kallikrein in S2 occurred twice as fast as in S1, while the opposite was registered for plasmin.     

Some properties of a kininogenase from the venom of Agkistrodon caliginosus (Kankoku-Mamushi)

A kininogenase (bradykinin-releasing enzyme) from the venom of A. caliginosus, is a single polypeptide-chain glycoprotein with a mol.wt of about 33,500, which contains 10.1% carbohydrate. The isoelectric point of the enzyme is 3.5 and the enzyme has 274 amino acid residues based on the mol.wt of 33,500. The enzyme hydrolyzed arginine esters more readily than lysine esters, but did not hydrolyze tyrosine ester. The activity of the enzyme on hydrolysis of arginine ester or on liberation of kinin from purified bovine high mol.wt kininogen was inhibited by diisopropylfluorophosphate, indicating that the serine hydroxyl group is involved in enzymatic activity. Moreover, the enzyme split N-alpha-carbobenzoxy-Gly-Pro-Arg-p-nitroanilide (PNA), H.D.Val-Leu-Arg-PNA, H.D.Pro-Phe-Arg-PNA, H.D.Phe-pipecolyl-Arg-PNA and Pro-Phe-Arg-4-methylcoumaryl-7-amide more readily than the other chromogenic or fluorogenic substrates. This result indicates that the substrate specificity of the enzyme is broader than that of mammalian serine proteinases.     

PURIFICATION AND HETEROGENEITY OF HUMAN KININOGEN.

Various methods of preparing human kininogen were investigated with an aim to limit the immunoreactive contaminant proteins to permit purification by immunosorption. A five-step procedure is described giving 7.5% yield of highly purified kininogen (pharmacological purity 14–20) from pooled human plasma, and containing approximately 30% alpha-2HS-glycoprotein and 2.8% albumin. Alpha-2HS could not be removed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or isoelectric focusing in column. Analysis of heterogeneity of kininogen after chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex using various linear gradients and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 suggested that a minor component may be an aggregate, not included in the yield. It remains uncertain whether this component derives from an occasionally observed high molecular form of active kininogen in the primary purification steps in the 7–12 S sieve fractions from Sephadex G-200, and excluded from further purification by pooling. Purification with immunosorbents was investigated using batch operations with antibody specific polymers prepared with antisera insolubilized with ethylchloroformate. It was found that the adsorption-desorption procedure was favourable for immunization purposes in producing highly specific immunologically pure kininogen. The kininogen obtained by this method or by the removal of contaminant alpha-2HS and albumin with the corresponding antibody specific polymers gave similar heterogenous patterns by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicating a main band of kininogen and several faintly stained bands which responded only to anti-kininogen. With 200 μg of the kininogen protein purified by immunosorption using monospecific antiserum the kininogen precipitation titre was 1:8 after 6–8 weeks in rabbits. With a polymer prepared with 4 ml anti-kininogen serum (1:8) and incubated with 800 μg highly purified kininogen approximately half the protein was desorbed with 2 M and 3 M sodium iodide in the first adsorption-desorption procedure.     

Rodent kinin-forming enzyme systems—I: Purification and characterization of plasma kininogen

Low molecular weight (LMW) kininogen was purified 70-fold with a 16% yield from fresh rat plasma by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sephadex G-200 gel filtration, SP-Sephadex chromatography, CM-cellulose chromatography, and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. Ferguson plots of polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic patterns revealed four bands with relative molecular weights of 64,000, 123,500, 252,436 and 357,900 (ratio of 1:2:4:6). Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis provided a single protein band with a molecular weight of 72,000, suggesting that the four kininogen bands had been caused by the aggregation of a single oligomeric protein. The purified LMW rat kininogen Fraction B (3.9 μg bradykinin/mg) was used to elicit an antiserum in the rabbit. Monospecificity of the antiserum was demonstrated by immunoelec-trophoresis (Laurell rocket and Grabar methods) and, thus, the homogeneity of the kininogen was also. The purified kininogen (both Fractions A and B) formed kinin with human urinary kallikrein, rat urinary kallikrein and hog pancreatic kallikrein. Murphy-Sturm lymphosarcoma acid protease also formed kinin when incubated with the kininogen at pH 3.0. The isoelectric point for both fractions was at pH 4.3. Amino acid analyses showed the two kininogen fractions to be rich in acidic amino acids and to have a total carbohydrate content of 8.5% consisting of galactose (1.2 to 1.5%), mannose (1.9 to 2.1%), N-acetylglucosamine (4.3 to 5.1%), N-acetylgalactosamine (0.3%), and sialic acid (0.68%).     

Kinin-forming enzyme in rat brain mitochondria fraction and biological activity of a kinin released from rat plasma kininogen by this enzyme

The kinin-forming enzyme of rat brain was studied by bioassaying kinin using a rat uterus. The enzyme released a kinin from the partially purified kininogen of rat plasma. The activity is exclusively distributed in the mitochondrial fraction and was detected in the pH range of 2.5-4.0 (optimally at pH 3.0). The enzyme was potently inhibited by pepstatin, but not by aprotinin. Released kinin was extracted by n-butanol and it was purified using Amberlite CG-50 absorption and CM-cellulose column chromatography. The elution profile of kinin from the CM-cellulose column did not coincide with that of bradykinin, Lys-bradykinin or Met-Lys-bradykinin. Isolated kinin was inactivated by treatment with chymotrypsin, but not with trypsin. In addition to the contractile activity on rat uterus, the kinin caused contraction of guinea pig ileum, with the response being potentiated by the presence of bradykinin-potentiator B. It also relaxed a rat duodenum, decreased rat blood pressure, and increased the vascular permeability in guinea pigs. Relative potencies of kinin on these pharmacological activities did not coincide with those of bradykinin. From these results, it is concluded that a kinin-forming enzyme is present in the rat brain. It is a cathepsin D-like enzyme, and furthermore, the enzyme releases a kinin-like peptide from the plasma kininogen fraction.     

Biochemical properties of a bushmaster snake venom serine proteinase (LV-Ka), and its kinin releasing activity evaluated in rat mesenteric arterial rings

A serine proteinase with kallikrein-like activity (LV-Ka) has been purified to homogeneity from bushmaster snake (Lachesis muta muta) venom. Physicochemical studies indicated that LV-Ka is a single chain glycoprotein with a molecular mass (Mr) of 33 kDa under reducing conditions which was reduced to 28 kDa after treatment with N-Glycosidase F (PNGase F). LV-Ka can be bounded and neutralized by serum alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2-M), a prevalent mammalian protease inhibitor that is capable of forming a macromolecular complex with LV-Ka (Mr >180 kDa). Cleavage of alpha2-M by the enzyme resulted in the formation of 90-kDa fragments. The proteolytic activity of LV-Ka against dimethylcasein could be inhibited by alpha2-M, and the binding ratio of the inhibitor:enzyme complex was found to be 1:1. The Michaelis constant, Km, and catalytic rate constant, kcat, of LV-Ka on four selective chromogenic substrates were obtained from Lineweaver-Burk plots. LV-Ka exhibits substrate specificities not only for the glandular kallikrein H-D-Val-Leu-Arg-pNA (S-2266) but also for the plasmin substrates S-2251 and Tos-Gly-Pro-Lys-pNA. Bovine kininogen incubated with LV-Ka generated a polypeptide that dose dependently contracted mesenteric arterial rings from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) in a similar way as bradykinin (BK) does. As it happens with BK, LV-Ka generated polypeptide was inhibited by HOE-140, a bradykinin B2-receptor antagonist and by indomethacin, a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor. These results strongly suggest that the polypeptide generated by LV-Ka by cleavage of bovine kininogen is bradykinin. In addition, our studies may help to understand the mechanism of action involved in hypotension produced by envenomation of bushmaster snake.     

Purification and characterization of arginine ester hydrolases from the venom of the Chinese habu snake (Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus)

An arginine ester hydrolase (ME-5) was isolated from the venom of Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus by column chromatography on Sephadex G-100, CM-Sephadex C-50, DEAE-Sephacel and by isoelectric focusing, obtaining 1.4 mg of purified enzyme from 1 g of crude venom. The enzyme was homogeneous by SDS and non SDS disc electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel at pH 8.3. ME-5 is a glycoprotein which possesses both TAME hydrolase and capillary permeability-increasing activity, but it did not show clotting or bradykinin-releasing activities. Its molecular weight is approximately 33,000 and its isoelectric point is 6.48. The enzyme is stable to heat treatment and to pH changes between 5 and 9. Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus venom contains five arginine ester hydrolases, designated as ME-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Three of the five (ME-3, 4 and 5) are inactivated by DFP, suggesting that the serine hydroxyl group is involved in enzymatic activity. All five arginine ester hydrolases showed capillary permeability-increasing activity, but none of the enzymes showed clotting activity. Their amino acid compositions were determined and all appear to be unique and distinct from those of other snake venoms.     

Kininogen and kininogenase synthesis by the liver of normal and injured rats.

Isolated livers from normal rats or from others at 2 days after subcutaneous injection of turpentine have been perfused with a simplified medium. Estimation of kininogen, kininogenase and 2 plasma proteins in the perfusates thus obtained indicate that both kininogen and kininogenase are synthesized in the liver. Furthermore, because twice as much kininogen and kininogenase was synthesized by the livers from the rats which had been injected with turpentine as by those from the normal rats, these two proteins must be considered to be members of the group of plasma proteins known as acute phase reactants.     

Activation of dog plasma kininogenase with glass

The activity of glass-activated kallikreins in dog plasma was determined by measuring both kininogenase and p-toluensulphonyl-l-arginine methyl ester (TAME) esterase activities. Non-contact plasma, after being shaken with glass beads, was centrifuged immediately at 4° to sediment the glass beads and the supernatant was used for the experiments. Glass activation of dog plasma was more effective on TAME esterase activity. When the supernatant alone was preincubated at 37°, its kininogenase activity was suppressed about 50 per cent, while TAME esterase activity was unchanged. High kininogenase activity in the supernatant could be induced by treatment with 50% ammonium sulphate, suggesting the presence of peculiar inhibitors for kininogenase activity in glass-activated dog plasma. Kininogenase inhibitors in plasma were separated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200; there were two inhibitors which were able to suppress kininogenase activity in glass-activated dog plasma. When dog plasma was preincubated with lima bean trypsin inhibitor, generation of both kininogenase and TAME esterase was significantly suppressed during contact with glass beads. Acetone-activated dog plasma could be reactivated by glass contact, although the level of kininogenase activity was lower than that by glass activation alone. The non-absorbed supernatant of glass-activated dog plasma formed kinins from rat kininogen. The present results suggest that the kinin-forming system by glass activation in dog plasma is not qualitatively different from that in human plasma with the exception of the presence of potent kininogenase inhibitors in the plasma.     

Substrates for Kinin-Releasing Enzymes in Rat Plasma

Indirect evidence has been provided for the presence of 3 kininogen fractions: The average amounts of kinin released by rat plasma kallikrein (1.5 μg/ml plasma, S. E. M. = 0.03) and by rat urine kallikrein (1.4 μg/ml plasma, S. E. M. = 0.03) in 7 plasma batches corresponding to a total of 90 rats, when added up, significantly exceeded the total kininogen (2.0 μg/ml plasma, S. E. M. = 0.04). Methods and materials were as described by BRISEID, DYRUD & ÖIE (1970). It is suggested that plasma kallikrein released kinin from 2 kininogen fractions, S1″ and S1″, and that urine kallikrein released kinin from 2 kininogen fractions, S1″ and S2. Repeated incubation with each of the kininogenase preparations used did not increase the yield of kinin. Soybean trypsin inhibitor did not reduce the amount of kinin released by urine kallikrein; the plasma kallikrein, however, was strongly inhibited. In control experiments leucine aminopeptidase transformed kallidin to bradykinin, but did not increase the kinin activity of the urine kallikrein incubates.     

Purification and partial characterization of an arginine ester hydrolase from the venom of the bushmaster snake, Lachesis muta noctivaga

An arginine esterase was purified from the venom of Lachesis muta noctivaga by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and by affinity and DEAE cellulose chromatography. The purified enzyme preparation had an arginyl esterase specific activity of 181 mumoles/min/mg, which was 10.9-fold higher than the esterase activity found in the crude venom. The enzyme is free of kinin-releasing activity (kininogenase) and thrombin-like activity (fibrinogenase). The purified fraction showed a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The Km for Bz-L-Arg-O-Et is 1.14 X 10(-3)M, Vm 181.7 mumoles/min/mg and Kcat 90.9 sec-1. The pH profile indicates that the enzyme has an active region centered at pH 8.1. L. muta noctivaga arginyl esterase is reversibly inhibited by benzamidine (Ki 8.9 X 10(-4)M) and irreversibly inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate.     

蝰蛇(缅甸亚种)毒促凝—纤溶双相活性组分FⅥbb的分离纯化及生物活性

目的从蝰蛇(缅甸亚种)毒分离纯化一种促凝—纤溶双相活性组分FⅥbb,并研究其理化性质和生物活性。方法应用CM-Sephadex C-50阳离子交换层析Sephadex G-150(超细)凝胶过滤层析Chelating Sepharose Fast Flow金属离子螯合亲和层析分离纯化蛇毒,反相HPLC检测组分FⅥbb纯度,采用MALDI质谱测定法测定分子量,以发色底物法、纤维平板法和SDS-PAGE测定FⅥbb的酶学特征和生物活性。结果从蝰蛇(缅甸亚种)毒分离得到的促凝—纤溶双相活性组分FⅥbb为单体蛋白,相对分子质量为59 138,最适温度为40℃,最适pH为10.0,为金属蛋白酶。结论应用CM-Sephadex C-50阳离子交换层析和Chelating Sepha-rose Fast Flow金属离子螯合亲和层析等方法可以从蝰蛇(缅甸亚种)毒纯化出促凝—纤溶双相活性组分FⅥbb,具有促凝—纤溶双相活性。