A Novel Phospholipase A2 (D49) from the Venom of the Crotalus oreganus abyssus (North American Grand Canyon Rattlesnake)

Currently,Crotalus viridiswas divided into two species:Crotalus viridisandCrotalus oreganus. The current classification divides “the old”Crotalus viridisinto two new and independent species:Crotalus viridis(subspecies:viridis and nuntius) andCrotalus oreganus(subspecies:abyssus, lutosus, concolor, oreganus, helleri, cerberus, and caliginis). The analysis of a product from cDNA (E6d), derived from the gland of a specieCrotalus viridis viridis, was found to produce an acid phospholipase A2. In this study we isolated and characterized a PLA2(D49) fromCrotalus oreganus abyssusvenom. Our studies show that the PLA2produced from the cDNA ofCrotalus viridis viridis(named E6d) is exactly the same PLA2primary sequence of amino acids isolated from the venom ofCrotalus oreganus abyssus. Thus, the PLA2from E6d cDNA is actually the same PLA2presented in the venom ofCrotalus oreganus abyssusand does not correspond to the venom fromCrotalus viridis viridis. These facts highlight the importance of performing more studies on subspecies ofCrotalus oreganusandCrotalus viridis, since the old classification may have led to mixed results or mistaken data.