Intravascular hemolysis induced by phospholipases A2 from the venom of the Eastern coral snake, Micrurus fulvius: Functional profiles of hemolytic and non-hemolytic isoforms

FERNÁNDEZ, MARÍA LAURA; QUARTINO, PABLO YUNES; ARCE-BEJARANO, RUTH; FERNÁNDEZ, JULIÁN; CAMACHO, LUIS F.; GUTIÉRREZ, JOSÉ MARÍA; KUEMMEL, DANIEL; FIDELIO, GERARDO; LOMONTE, BRUNO

TOXICOLOGY LETTERS

ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD

Año: 2018 vol. 286 p. 39 - 39

0378-4274

unique feature of the venom of Micrurus fulvius (Eastern coral snake) is its ability to induce severe intravascular hemolysis in particular species, such as dogs or mice. This effect was previously shown to be induced by distinct phospholipase A2 (PLA2) isoforms which cause direct hemolysis in vitro, an uncommon finding for such enzymes. The functional profiles of PLA2-17, a direct hemolytic enzyme, and PLA2-12, a co-existing venom isoform lacking such effect, were compared. The enzymes differed not only in their ability to cause intravascular hemolysis: PLA2-17 additionally displayed lethal, myotoxic, and anticoagulant actions, whereas PLA2-12 lacked these effects. PLA2-12 was much more active in hydrolyzing a monodisperse synthetic substrate than PLA2-17, but the catalytic activity of latter was notably higher on a micellar substrate, or towards pure phospholipid artificial monolayers under controlled lateral pressures. Interestingly, PLA2-17 could hydrolyze substrate at a pressure