Isolation of coagulant serine-proteases from Bothrops neuwiedi pauloensis and Crotalus durissus terrificus venoms: functional and structural characterization

• Grant number: 07/05159-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: March 01, 2008 - February 28, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Benedito Barraviera
• Grantee: Benedito Barraviera
• Host Institution: Centro de Estudos de Venenos e Animais Peçonhentos (CEVAP). Centro Virtual de Toxinologia. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Venoms from snakes of the family Crotalidae have a wide variety of proteins and peptides which affect the human hemostatic system. Such proteins can be classified as coagulant and/or fibrinolytic (serine-proteases) and anticoagulant factors (nucleotidases, PLA2, metalloproteases, disintegrins, C-type lectins). The high selectivity of those proteins by individual clotting factors allows their use in medical clinic treatments, application in biotechnology and the development of diagnostic tests for hemostatic disturbances in clinical laboratories. The present project describes the systematic study of the function and structure of serine-proteases (coagulant factors) from Bothrops neuwiedi pauloensis and Crotalus durissus terrificus venoms by using the following strategies: 1- isolation at high purity level of coagulant enzymes; 2- biochemical characterization (purity level, molecular weight, isoelectric point, composition in amino acids, N-terminal sequences, glycosylation study and others); 3- functional characterization (toxic and pharmacological activities); and 4- structural characterization (cloning and sequencing of cDNAs; crystallography by X-rays and molecular modeling). Considering such assays, the project can provide important information to better understand the mechanisms of action of those enzymes and their possible therapeutic applications. (AU)

Scientific publications

(6)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MONTEIRO DE BARROS ALMEIDA, RICARDO AUGUSTO; TOSCANO OLIVO, TAYLOR ENDRIGO; MENDES, RINALDO PONCIO; CATHARINO SARTORI BARRAVIERA, SILVIA REGINA; SOUZA, LENICE DO ROSARIO; MARTINS, JOELMA GONCALVES; HASHIMOTO, MIRIAM; FABRIS, VICIANY ERIQUE; FERREIRA JUNIOR, RUI SEABRA; BARRAVIERA, BENEDITO. Picadas de abelhas africanizadas: como tratá-las?. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, v. 44, n. 6, p. 755-761, NOV-DEC 2011. (07/05159-7)

MARTINEZ, MELISSA GASTE; DUCATTI, CARLOS; SILVA, EVANDRO TADEU; ST ANNA, SAVIO STEFANINI; PEREIRA SARTORI, MARIA MARCIA; BARRAVIERA, BENEDITO. Does the rattle of Crotalus durissus terrificus reveal its dietary history?. Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, v. 20, DEC 9 2014. (07/05159-7, 08/57411-4)

FERREIRA JUNIOR, RUI S.; SCIANI, JULIANA M.; MARQUES-PORTO, RAFAEL; LOURENCO JUNIOR, AIRTON; ORSI, RICARDO DE O.; BARRAVIERA, BENEDITO; PIMENTA, DANIEL C.. Africanized honey bee (Apis mellifera) venom profiling: Seasonal variation of melittin and phospholipase A(2) levels. Toxicon, v. 56, n. 3, p. 355-362, SEP 1 2010. (07/05159-7, 07/02476-1, 07/08478-6)

FERREIRA JUNIOR, RUI S.; SIQUEIRA, AMANDA K.; CAMPAGNER, MICHELLE V.; SALERNO, TATIANA; SOARES, TAISSA C. S.; LUCHEIS, SIMONE B.; PAES, ANTONIO C.; BARRAVIERA, BENEDITO. Comparison of wildlife and captivity rattlesnakes (Crotalus durissus terrificus) microbiota. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira, v. 29, n. 12, p. 999-1003, DEC 2009. (07/05159-7)

SCIANI, JULIANA MOZER; MARQUES-PORTO, RAFAEL; LOURENCO JUNIOR, AIRTON; ORSI, RICARDO DE OLIVEIRA; FERREIRA JUNIOR, RUI SEABRA; BARRAVIERA, BENEDITO; PIMENTA, DANIEL CARVALHO. Identification of a novel melittin isoform from Africanized Apis mellifera venom. Peptides, v. 31, n. 8, p. 1473-1479, AUG 2010. (07/05159-7, 07/02476-1, 07/08478-6)

BARROS, L. C.; SOARES, A. M.; COSTA, F. L.; RODRIGUES, V. M.; FULY, A. L.; GIGLIO, J. R.; GALLACCI, M.; THOMAZINI-SANTOS, I. A.; BARRAVIERA, S. R. C. S.; BARRAVIERA, B.; et al. Biochemical and biological evaluation of gyroxin isolated from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, v. 17, n. 1, p. 23-33, 2011. (07/05159-7)