Chemical structure of three basic Asp-49 phospholipases A2 isolated from Crotalus molossus nigrescens venom with cytotoxic activity against cancer cells

Snake venoms are complex mixtures of molecules with several biological activities. Among these molecules, the enzymes with phospholipase A(2) activity have been extensively studied in the venoms from snakes because of their importance in the envenomation process and symptoms. The Mexican rattlesnake Crotalus molossus nigrescens is widely distributed in the Mexican plateau. Unlike other crotalids, its venom components have been poorly studied. Here, we characterized the phospholipase activity of one fraction isolated from the venom of this snake and we determined the cytotoxic and neurotoxic effects on brain tumor cells and neuronal primary cultures, respectively. After reverse phase chromatography, we obtained a fraction which was analyzed by mass spectrometry showing higher activity than that from a PLA2 from bee venom used as control. This fraction was enriched with three basic Asp49 phospholipases with molecular masses of 12.5, 13.9 and 14.2 kDa. Their complete amino acid sequences were determined, and their predicted tertiary structures were generated using the model building softwares I-tasser and Chimera. Viability assays revealed that the fraction showed cytotoxic activity against brain tumor cells (C6, RG2 and Daoy) with IC50 values ranging between 10 and 100 ng/ml, whereas an IC50 > 100 ng/ml was exerted in rat primary astrocytes. These findings might be relevant in oncological medicine due to their potential as anticancer agents and low neurotoxic effects compared to conventional drugs.

Automated summary

Snake venom contains enzymes with important roles in venom action and symptoms. In this study, we characterized a fraction of venom from the Mexican rattlesnake Crotalus molossus nigrescens and found that it exhibited phospholipase A2 activity. This fraction showed cytotoxic effects on brain tumor cells and had low neurotoxic effects on primary neuronal cultures. These findings suggest its potential as an anticancer agent in oncology medicine.