1. Crystal structures of an acidic phospholipase A2 from the venom of Naja Kaouthia
- Author
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Gu, Lichuan, Wang, Zhiqing, Song, Shiying, Shu, Yuyan, and Lin, Zhengjiong
- Subjects
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COBRAS , *PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 , *OLIGOMERS - Abstract
A phospholipase A2 purified from the venom of Naja kaouthia (Guangxi cobra) exhibits anticoagulant activities. The structures of two crystal forms were determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.8 A˚ resolution with the Naja naja (India cobra) PLA2 as an initial model. The enzyme exhibits a trimer structure, which is similar to that of India cobra PLA2. This reinforces the physiological relevance of the oligomer. The trimer has a wide cavity, which allows the substrate to enter and interact with the catalytic site. The formation of the trimer may serve as a storage method to improve the solubility at high concentration in the venom gland. The Ca2+ binding loop in the absence of the cation can exist in different conformations depending on its surroundings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2002
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