Unraveling the Reaction Mechanism of Russell's Viper Venom Factor X Activator: A Paradigm for the Reactivity of Zinc Metalloproteinases?

ABSTRACT: Snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) are important drug targets against snakebite envenoming, the neglected tropical disease with the highest mortality worldwide. Here, we focus on Russell's viper (Daboia russelii), one of the "big four" snakes of the Indian subcontinent that, together, are responsible for ca. 50,000 fatalities annually. The "Russell's viper venom factor X activator" (RVV-X), a highly toxic metalloproteinase, activates the blood coagulation factor X (FX), leading to the prey's abnormal blood clotting and death. Given its tremendous public health impact, the WHO recognized an urgent need to develop efficient, heat-stable, and affordable-for-all small-molecule inhibitors, for which a deep understanding of the mechanisms of action of snake's principal toxins is funda

SUBMITTER: Castro-Amorim J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10336966 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature