Micrurus spixii (PERUVIAN CORAL SNAKE) VENOM - PRELIMINARY BIOCHEMICAL AND ENZYMATIC CHARACTERIZATION

C. REMUZGO(1), M. P. ALVAREZ(1), E. RODRIGUEZ(1), F. LAZO(1), A. YARLEQUE(1)

(1)Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas “Antonio Raimondi” (ICBAR), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Av. Venezuela cuadra 34, Lima, Perú.

ABSTRACT: Micrurus spixii venom was studied after fractionation by Sephadex G-100 SF gel filtration chromatography. Several enzymatic activities and biological effects were investigated in whole venom and fractions. The venom was resolved in four peaks in a range of about 73.2-10.7 kDa molecular weight.

Alkaline phosphatase and acetylcholinesterase activities were found in peak I, and procoagulant activity was seen in peak II. Phospholipase A2, hemorrhagic, and proteolytic activities were detected in peak III. A second procoagulant factor and proteinase were present in peak IV. Thrombin-like enzyme and direct hemolytic activities were not found in any assayed samples.

KEY WORDS: Phospholipase A2, acetylcholinesterase, alkaline phosphatase, venom, Micrurus spixii.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

C. Remuzgo - Apartado Postal 58, Lima 15, Perú. Phone: 51 1 452 4135 - Fax: 51 1 464 9110  Email d190061@unmsm.edu.pe and cremuzgo@hotmail.com