The isolation and characterization of a new snake venom cysteine-rich secretory protein (svCRiSP) from the venom of the Southern Pacific rattlesnake and its effect on vascular permeability

A novel snake venom cysteine-rich secretory protein (svCRiSP), Hellerin, was purified from C. o. helleri venom using sequential reverse phase and cation-exchange chromatography. Gel electrophoresis, N-terminal sequencing, and LC-MS/MS sequencing identified a single protein with a molecular mass of approximately 24.8 kDa and confirmed its identity as a svCRiSP. Hellerin had cytotoxic effects on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a dose-dependent manner but not in human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (HDLECs) and human dermal blood endothelial cells (HDBECs). Hellerin produced a dramatic increase in both blood vascular permeability in vivo, and in the trans-epithelial permeability of cultured HDLEC and HDBEC cells. This is the first study that describes the effect of a svCRiSP on vascular, blood and lymphatic permeability.