Functional characterization of recombinant batroxobin, a snake venom thrombin-like enzyme, expressed from Pichia pastoris.

A thrombin-like enzyme of Bothrops atrox moojeni venom, batroxobin, specifically cleaves fibrinogen alpha chain, resulting in the formation of non-crosslinked fibrin clots. The cDNA encoding batroxobin was cloned, expressed in Pichia pastoris and the molecular function of purified recombinant protein was also characterized. The recombinant batroxobin had an apparent molecular weight of 33 kDa by SDS-PAGE analysis and biochemical activities similar to those of native batroxobin.

Snake venom disintegrin, saxatilin, inhibits platelet aggregation, human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation, and smooth muscle cell migration.

A novel disintegrin, saxatilin, was purified from Korean snake (Gloydius saxatilis) venom by means of chromatographic fractionations. We have also isolated the cDNA encoding the disintegrin using cDNA library of the snake venom gland and analyzed its complete nucleotide sequence. Saxatilin is a single-chain polypeptide composed of 73 amino acids including 12 cysteines as well as the tripeptide sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD), a proposed recognition site of adhesive proteins.