Abstract
The venom of the viper Echis carinatus sochureki suppresses the hemolytic activity of Sendai virus on human erythrocytes, when pre-incubated with the virions prior to their binding to cells. A fraction (C1), with an IC50 of 1.25 g/ml, was isolated from the venom. Fraction C1 possesses strong azocollase, azocaseinase and gelatinase activity. The proteolytic and anti-hemolytic potency of C1 depends on the period and temperature of incubation. Its antiviral activity is inhibited by Sodium-EDTA but not by PMSF. SDS PAGE of Sendai virus incubated with fraction C1 shows disappearance of several of the virion high molecular weight bands. We suggest that inhibition of the hemolytic activity of the virions is probably a result of the cleavage of viral surface proteins, such as the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase glycoprotein found on the virion envelope that mediates the absorption of the virus to cells.
Highlights
Snake venoms are complex mixtures of toxins and enzymes with different activities on many biological systems
Among eleven viperid snake venoms that we screened for antiviral activity using a model of hemolysis of human erythrocytes by Sendai virus, the most powerful venoms were those of the snakes Echis coloratus and Echis carinatus sochureki [5]
It is of interest that Echis carinatus sochureki and Echis coloratus are closely related viper snakes, in the venom of the former snake a complex of 3 proteins is needed to neutralize the hemolytic activity of Sendai virus, while in the venom of the later, one protein, which exerts a similar mechanism of antiviral activity, is sufficient
Summary
Snake venoms are complex mixtures of toxins and enzymes with different activities on many biological systems Among other components they include cytotoxins [1,2,3], antibacterial [4] and anti-viral factors [5,6,7]. The active antiviral factor found in the venom of Echis coloratus was isolated and characterized [6] This factor, termed Echinibin-1, is a 25kDa metalloproteinase glycoprotein, which interferes with the virus adsorption to the cells resulting in the suppression of the hemolytic, hemagglutinating and lethal activities of Sendai virus. Sendai virus is an enveloped virus, which belongs to the Parainfluenza family This group of viruses includes pathogens that can cause serious respiratory tract diseases [8]. Inhibition of any of these two steps results in the loss of virus infectivity
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