ISOLATION, PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION AND COMPLETE AMINO-ACID-SEQUENCE OF THE TOXIC PHOSPHOLIPASE-A2 FROM THE VENOM OF THE COMMON VIPER, VIPERA-BERUS-BERUS

A basic, toxic phospholipase A2 was purified from the venom of Vipera berus berus (Vbb) by a single purification step, using hydrophobic chr omatography. The primary structure of isolated protein was established from peptides generated by Gly-specific papaya proteinase IV, beta-tr ypsin, CNBr and mild acid hydrolysis. The enzyme consists of a single chain of 122 amino acid residues with 14 Cys in positions characterist ic for the phospholipase A2 subgroup IIA. As far as we know, this is t he first complete Vipera berus phospholipase A2 amino acid sequence re ported.