JaneiroCinquini, T.R.F., Bijovsky, A.T., Leinz, F.F. & Winter,
C.E. (1995). Characterization of the main plasma lipoproteins from the
ovoviviparous viperid snake Bothrops jararaca. Comp. Biochem.
Physiol., 112(B):49-58.
ABSTRACT
Plasma from estrogen treated males of Bothrops jararaca
fractionated by ultracentrifugation showed three main fractions with very
low density, intermediate density and high density, respectively. The very
low density and high density fractions are mainly composed of lipoproteins
detected by specific staining with Sudan Black, Electron microscopy of the
very low density lipoproteins shows a single population of particles with
a mean diameter of 29.6 nm similar to that of very low density
lipoproteins from laying hens. The very low density lipoprotein of
Bothrops jararaca is composed of two polypeptides with molecular
masses of 450 and 20 kDa. Three main polypeptides are detected in the
plasma high density fraction with molecular masses of 190, 160 and 110
kDa. Analysis of whole plasma proteins, from control and estrogen treated
males, by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed
that the 20 kDa very low density lipoprotein polypeptide and the 160 and
110 kDa high density lipoprotein polypeptides are induced de novo after
estrogen treatment, These results suggest that the two very low density
lipoprotein polypeptides are the snake counterparts of chicken very low
density polypeptides. The estrogen induced high density lipoprotein
polypeptides probably make up the vitellogenin(s) of Bothrops
jararaca. An antiserum raised against the whole very low density
plasma fraction was able to recognize only the two polypeptides found in
this fraction in the plasma of treated males, Using this antiserum, in a
double immunodiffusion test, we were able to detect only a faint reaction
against Bothrops jararaca egg yolk proteins.