IMMUNOCHEMICAL CROSS-REACTIVITY OF 2 PHOSPHOLIPASE-A2 NEUROTOXINS, AGKISTRODOTOXIN AND CROTOXIN

Polyclonal rabbit antisera were raised against the phospholipase A2 neurotoxin agkistrodotoxin (AGTX) from Agkistrodon blomhoffii brevicaudus venom and against the phospholipase A2 subunit (component-B, CB) of crotoxin from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. Anti-AGTX antibodies cross-reacted strongly with crotoxin and crotoxin-like molecules and more weakly with other phospholipases A2 from the venoms of Viperidae and Crotalidae. On the other hand, anti-CB antibodies cross-reacted with AGTX, and also recognized ammodytoxin A and the phospholipase A2 from Vipera berus venom, but not other phospholipases A2 from Crotalidae and Viperidae. Anti-AGTX and anti-CB antibodies were able to inhibit the phospholipase A2 activity and to neutralize the lethal potency of the homologous and heterologous toxins (AGTX or crotoxin). Immunoaffinity chromatography columns were used to isolate anti-AGTX antibodies which recognized CB (91% of the total anti-AGTX antibodies), and anti-CB antibodies which recognized AGTX (52% of the total anti-CB antibodies). Immunochemical investigations performed with each type of antibody indicated that the majority of AGTX antigenic determinants are present on crotoxin component-B and on phospholipases A2 from Viperidae venoms, and that some of these determinants are involved in the neutralization of lethal potency and in the inhibition of enzymatic activity of AGTX and crotoxin.