Isolation and characterisation of insulin-releasing compounds from Crotalus adamanteus, Crotalus vegrandis and Bitis nasicornis venom

Toxicon. 2015 Jul:101:48-54. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.05.002. Epub 2015 May 7.

Abstract

Crude venom from three venomous snakes, Crotalus adamanteus, Crotalus vegrandis and Bitis nasicornis was fractionated by gel filtration chromatography, and selected fractions screened for in-vitro insulinotropic activity using clonal pancreatic BRIN-BD11 cells. Nineteen fractions stimulated insulin secretion and the structural identity of bioactive compounds responsible was probed using MALDI-ToF MS and N-terminal Edman degradation sequencing. Partial N-terminal sequences were determined and their homology to existing sequences identified using BLAST searching. The main insulinotropic peptide families identified were made up of snake venom serine proteinases, phospholipases A2 (PLA2) and disintegrins. Snake venom constituents may have therapeutic potential for diabetes, with each of the three viper venoms tested providing insulinotropic compounds from a range of different toxin families.

Keywords: Diabetes; Insulin secretion; Venom; Viperidae.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Crotalid Venoms / chemistry
  • Crotalid Venoms / pharmacology*
  • Crotalus / classification
  • Crotalus / metabolism*
  • Disintegrins / metabolism
  • Insulin / metabolism*
  • Insulin Secretion
  • Insulin-Secreting Cells / cytology
  • Insulin-Secreting Cells / drug effects
  • Phospholipases A2 / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Serine Proteases / metabolism
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Viper Venoms / chemistry
  • Viper Venoms / pharmacology*
  • Viperidae / classification
  • Viperidae / metabolism*

Substances

  • Crotalid Venoms
  • Disintegrins
  • Insulin
  • Viper Venoms
  • Phospholipases A2
  • Serine Proteases