Hydrolysis of Tosylarginine Methyl Ester by Russell’s Viper Venom

Summary

Russell’s viper venom (RVV) is capable of hydrolyzing TAME slowly. It is readily adsorbed by glass from weak solutions. The pH optimum for the hydrolysis was 8.7 to 9.0. Under the conditions specified, K_m was found to be 1.05 × 10^–2 M and V_max was 0.62 μM per min. per mg RVV. On a weight basis, RVV has a greater clot-accelerating activity than trypsin but less TAME hydrolyzing activity. It is suggested that there is a correlation between the clot-accelerating action of RVV and the hydrolysis of specific arginyl peptide bonds.

 

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^* This investigation was supported in part by a Senior Research Fellowship (SF-302) from the Public Health Service and by a grant, H-1648, from the National Heart Institutes of the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service (K. M. Brinkhous).

^** Fellow of the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation.

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