Expression, purification and characterization of a novel recombinant SVTLE, r-agkihpin-2, from Gloydius halys Pallas venom gland in Escherichia coli

•We expressed an active recombinant SVTLE, r-agkihpin-2, through a prokaryotic expression system.•In vitro fibrinolytic and fibrinogenolytic activities were detected in r-agkihpin-2.•R-agkihpin-2 reduced the thrombin-induced thrombosis in rat.•R-agkihpin-2 inhibited the migration of liver cancer cell.•There isn't bleeding activity of r-agkihpin-2 in mice.

In our previous work, a thrombin-like enzyme (TLE), agkihpin, was successfully isolated, purified, cloned and named from the venom of Gloydius halys Pallas, having fibrinolytic, fibrinogenolytic and thrombosis-reduced activities, attenuating migration of liver cancer cell, and without bleeding risk. To explore the possibility of agkihpin as a thrombolytic and/or anti-metastasis agent in the future, in this study recombinant agkihpin was expressed and purified in Escherichia coli, and its biological activities investigated. Thus, r-agkihpin-2 was successfully expressed and purified and confirmed by Western blot and peptide mass fingerprinting. After purification and renaturation, 46 mg (399 U) of active r-agkihpin-2 was obtained from 1 L bacterial culture. The results of the arginine esterase activity assay, fibrin plate test fibrinogenolytic activity assay, thrombin-induced venous thrombosis assay, Scratch-Wound assay and bleeding assay showed that active r-agkihpin-2 had slightly lower TAME hydrolytic, fibrinolytic, fibrinogenolytic, thrombus-reduced and migration-attenuated activities than those of native agkihpin, and had no bleeding risk. These findings confirmed that, active r-agkihpin-2 could be further investigated for thrombolytic and/or anti-metastasis drug discovery in the future.