A Low Molecular Weight Isoform of Hyaluronidase: Purification from Indian Cobra (Naja naja) Venom and Partial Characterization

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K. S. Girish and K. Kemparaju^*

Department of Biochemistry, University of Mysore, Mysore 570 006, India; E-mail: kemparaj@rediffmail.com

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received August 4, 2004; Revision received September 10, 2004

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A low molecular weight isoform of hyaluronidase (NNH2) has been isolated from Indian cobra (Naja naja) venom by successive chromatography on Sephadex G-75 and CM-Sephadex C-25 columns. The apparent molecular weight determined by SDS-PAGE is 52 kD, and the pI value is 9.7. NNH2 is an endoglycosidase and exhibits in vitro absolute specificity for hyaluronan; it also hydrolyzed hyaluronan in human skin sections. NNH2 is nontoxic, but it indirectly potentiates the hemorrhagic activity of hemorrhagic complex-I. Curcumin, indomethacin, and tannic acid inhibited dose dependently the degradation of hyaluronan by NNH2.

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KEY WORDS: hyaluronidase, hyaluronan, spreading factor, Naja naja venom

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