Antibacterial potential of a basic phospholipase A 2 (VRV-PL-VIIIa) from Daboia russelii pulchella (Russell's viper) venom

• Published in: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
• Main Authors: Shivalingaiah Sudharshan, Bhadrapura Lakkappa Dhananjaya
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SciELO 2015
• Subjects: Snake venom; Bactericidal; Antibiotics; Drug; Human pathogenic bacteria; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Toxicology. Poisons; RA1190-1270; Zoology; QL1-991; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40409-015-0014-y; https://doaj.org/article/31da554a249d4c09b1abdebd74b2cb9e

Abstract Background: Microbial/bacterial resistance against antibiotics poses a serious threat to public health. Furthermore, the side effects of these antibiotics have stimulated tremendous interest in developing new molecules from diverse organisms as therapeutic agents. This study evaluates the antibacterial potential of a basic protein, Vipera russellii venom phospholipase A 2 fraction VIIIa (VRV-PL-VIIIa), from Daboia russelii pulchella venom against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Methods: The antibacterial potential of VRV-PL-VIIIa in the presence and absence of an inhibitor (p-bromophenacyl bromide) was tested against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and the minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by microdilution tests. Results: VRV-PL-VIIIa demonstrated potent antibacterial activities against all the human pathogenic strains tested. It more effectively inhibited such gram-positive bacteria as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis , when compared to the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella paratyphi . It inhibited bacterial growth at minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 11.1 to 19.2 μg/mL. The anti-bacterial potential of VRV-PL-VIIIa was comparable to the standards gentamycin, chlorophenicol and streptomycin. The PLA 2 's hemolytic and antibacterial activities were strongly correlated. Furthermore, even in the presence of p-bromophenacyl bromide, intense antibacterial activity was observed, suggesting a dissociation or partial overlapping of the bactericidal/antimicrobial domains. Conclusion: VRV-PL-VIIIa demonstrated potent antibacterial activities against all the human pathogenic strains tested. The study shows that despite a strong correlation between enzymatic and antimicrobial activities of VRV-PL-VIIIa, it may possess additional properties that mimic the bactericidal/membrane permeability-increasing protein. This study encourages further in-depth studies on the molecular mechanisms of ...