Echicetin, a heterodimeric protein from the venom of Echis carinatus, binds to platelet glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) and so inhibits platelet aggregation or agglutination induced by various platelet agonists acting via GPIb. The amino acid sequence of the β subunit of echicetin has been reported and found to belong to the recently identified snake venom subclass of the C-type lectin protein family. Echicetin α and β subunits were purified. N-terminal sequence analysis provided direct evidence that the protein purified was echicetin. The paper presents the complete amino acid sequence of the α subunit and computer models of the α and β subunits. The sequence of α echicetin is highly similar to the α and β chains of various heterodimeric and homodimeric C-type lectins. Neither of the fully reduced and alkylated α or β subunits of echicetin inhibited the platelet agglutination induced by von Willebrand factor–ristocetin or α-thrombin. Earlier reports about the inhibitory activity of reduced and alkylated echicetin β subunit might have been due to partial reduction of the protein.
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Research Article|
April 15 1997
Amino acid sequence of the α subunit and computer modelling of the α and β subunits of echicetin from the venom of Echis carinatus (saw-scaled viper)
János POLGÁR;
János POLGÁR
*Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Berne, Freiestrasse 1, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland
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Edith M. MAGNENAT;
Edith M. MAGNENAT
†Geneva Biomedical Research Institute, Glaxo Wellcome Research and Development S. A., 14, chemin des Aulx, CH-1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
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Manuel C. PEITSCH;
Manuel C. PEITSCH
†Geneva Biomedical Research Institute, Glaxo Wellcome Research and Development S. A., 14, chemin des Aulx, CH-1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
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Timothy N. C. WELLS;
Timothy N. C. WELLS
†Geneva Biomedical Research Institute, Glaxo Wellcome Research and Development S. A., 14, chemin des Aulx, CH-1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland
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Mansoor S. A. SAQI;
Mansoor S. A. SAQI
‡Glaxo Wellcome Research and Development, Stevenage SG1 2NY, U.K.
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Kenneth J. CLEMETSON
Kenneth J. CLEMETSON
§
*Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Berne, Freiestrasse 1, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland
§To whom correspondence should be addressed.
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
August 01 1996
Revision Received:
October 17 1996
Accepted:
December 10 1996
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
The Biochemical Society, London © 1997
1997
Biochem J (1997) 323 (2): 533–537.
Article history
Received:
August 01 1996
Revision Received:
October 17 1996
Accepted:
December 10 1996
Citation
János POLGÁR, Edith M. MAGNENAT, Manuel C. PEITSCH, Timothy N. C. WELLS, Mansoor S. A. SAQI, Kenneth J. CLEMETSON; Amino acid sequence of the α subunit and computer modelling of the α and β subunits of echicetin from the venom of Echis carinatus (saw-scaled viper). Biochem J 15 April 1997; 323 (2): 533–537. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bj3230533
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