Purification and partial characterization of a novel fibrinogenase from the venom of Deinagkistrodon acutus: Inhibition of platelet aggregation

•A non-hemorrhagic fibrinogenase (DAnase) was purified from Deinagkistrodon acutus venom.•DAnase was a disulfide-linked dimer requiring disulfide bridge(s) for its activity.•DAnase had arginine esterase activity and inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation.•DAnase was devoid of hemorrhagic activity and Factor XIII activation activity.•DAnase has a potential clinical application for the therapy of thrombosis disease.

A novel fibrinogenase, DAnase, was purified from the venom of Deinagkistrodon acutus by a combination of anion and cation exchange chromatography. Unlike other fibrinogenases which are usually single polypeptide chain proteins, the enzyme was a disulfide-linked dimer with an isoelectric point of 6.03 and an apparent molecular weight of 25 kDa on SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. DAnase showed α-fibrinogenase activity devoid of fibrinolytic activity. It hydrolyzed rapidly the Aα-chain of fibrinogen and followed by the Bβ-chain and did not cleave the γ-chain. It also exhibited arginine esterase activity. The fibrinogenolytic and arginine esterase activities were completely inhibited by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride or tris-(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride, but not by EDTA, indicating that DAnase is a serine protease requiring disulfide bridge(s) for its activity. The protease strongly inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation in human platelet-rich plasma but was lack of ADPase activity, indicating that its fibrinogenolytic activity is involved in its inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation. DAnase was devoid of hemorrhagic activity and Factor XIII activation activity. DAnase may have a potential clinical application for the therapy of thrombosis disease.