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| Author(s): |
Juliana Minardi Nascimento
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | Campinas, SP. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia |
| Defense date: | 2008-02-29 |
| Examining board members: |
Stephen Hyslop;
Patricia Aline Boer;
Roger Frigério Castilho;
Carmen Veríssima Ferreira;
Soraia Soubhi Smaili
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| Advisor: | Carla Beatriz Collares Buzato; Stephen Hyslop |
| Abstract | |
Bothrops snake venoms are cytotoxic to a variety of cells (endothelial, smooth muscle, renal and inflammatory cells), and may cause cell death by apoptosis. The venom components implicated in apoptosis include metalloproteinases and L-amino acid oxidase. In contrast, although acidic deoxyribonucleases (DNase II) have been implicated in DNA fragmentation during apoptosis in mammals, nothing is known of the involvement of venom deoxyribonucleases in this phenomenon. In this thesis, we 1) investigated the cytotoxicity of Bothrops alternatus venom in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells, 2) purified and characterized an acidic DNase from this venom, and 3) assessed the apoptotic activity of this DNase in MDCK cells. Treatment with B. alternatus venom (10 and 100 µg/mL) markedly decreased the transepithelial electrical resistance of cultured cells, and caused redistribution of some junctional proteins followed by cytoskeletal rearrangement involving stress fibers at the basal cell surface and focal adhesion-associated F-actin in the cell-matrix contact region. There was a decrease in the number of mitotic cells and an increase in the number of cells with pycnotic or morphologically altered nuclei. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a decrease in microvillar density and alteration in the normal cell morphology from polyhedric to fusiform. Staining with annexin V-FITC and electrophorese of cellular DNA suggested that cell death was predominantly by necrosis. Pretreating the cells with catalase, superoxide dismutase or L-NAME significantly attenuated the venom-induced cell death, indicating the possible involvement of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in this phenomenon. DNase II was purified from B. alternatus venom by a combination of ion exchange and gel filtration chromatographies (specific activity = 1.9x103 units/mg vs. 36.1 units/mg for venom, purification factor = 51.2, with a protein yield of 1.75%). The molecular mass of 26.4 kDa (SDS-PAGE) was unaffected by dithiothreitol or i-mercaptoethanol, indicating a single-chain protein. Immunoblotting with affinity-purified IgG from commercial bothropic antivenom also yielded a single protein band with the same molecular mass. The enzyme was also recognized by antibothropic IgG in ELISA and crossreacted with anti-human DNase II in western blots. The isoelectric point determined by 2Dgel electrophoresis was ~5.0. DNase II cleaved double-stranded DNA, denatured DNA and circular DNA (from the plasmids pGEM and pBR 322), but there was no degradation of RNA. The enzyme was active in the pH range of 4.5-5.5, with an optimum at 4.7; activity was lost at >50oC. The Km and Vmax were 10.1 µg/mL and 352.5 U/mg, respectively. Enzymatic activity was inhibited by aurintricarboxylic acid (25 µM), iodoacetamide (1 mM), DTT (1 mM) and Ca2+, Mg2+ and Zn2+ (100 mM), but not by EDTA (5 mM). In MDCK cells, DNase II produced cytoplasmic vacuolization, cell shrinkage and cell detachment from the substrate, as well as condensed and/or fragmented nuclei. DNase was cytotoxic to MDCK cells at > 400 U/mL (~20 µg/mL), caused DNA fragmentation, and increased the proportion of apoptotic cells. The apoptotic pathway stimulated by this enzyme involved the activation of caspases 3, 8 and 9, and a decrease in the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2. These results show that B. alternatus venom is cytotoxic to MDCK cells, with part of this toxicity probably being mediated by DNase II. This enzyme induces apoptosis that could contribute to the general cytotoxicity of the venom (AU) | |