Metalloproteinases and disintergrins of snake venom:structures and functions

Snake venom metalloproteinase is one of the main function proteins in snake venom.It directly affects the interactions between capillary endothelium cells and basement membrane in local tissues.Snake venom disintegrin and metalloproteinase are derived from the same pre-pro-metalloproteinase,which contains 4 common structural domains: Pre-domain,Pro-domain,Proteinase domains,and Spacer region.Disintegrin,a low molecular weight protein containing several Cys residues,can block the binding of integrins and their ligands and inhibit adhering reaction(cell to cell and cell to extracellular matrix) mediated by integrin.It also plays a significant role in platelet aggregation,infection,inflammation reaction,tumor metastasis,etc..