Abstract
Pseudonaja textilis, an Australian Elapid, is known to produce a highly toxic venom. Both protein profiling and N-terminal sequence analysis showed the presence of four new phospholipases A 2 in this venom. Besides being non-lethal, the phospholipase A 2 proteins were found to be moderately active enzymes and they showed procoagulant property. cDNA cloning and characterization indicated the presence of two isoforms of PLA 2 proteins in a single snake, each containing the “pancreatic loop,” characteristic of group IB phospholipase A 2. The genomic cloning also confirmed the presence of two genes each containing four exons that are interrupted by three introns. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the venom group IB PLA 2 gene is primitive and could have evolved from the same ancestor as the mammalian and venom group IA PLA 2 genes. In the present study, we report that the Pt-PLA2 gene could be responsible for the production of PL1, 2, and 3 possibly via RNA editing process.
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