Enzymatic properties of the stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa Bloch and Schneider, 1801) venom and purification of a lethal, hypotensive and cytolytic factor.

The crude venom of the stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) possesses numerous enzymatic properties (hyaluronidase, eight esterases and ten aminopeptidases). Verrucotoxin was isolated by DEAE and hydroxyapatite chromatography, followed by FPLC gel filtration on Superdex 200 HR 10/30. It was found to be a glycoprotein with a mol. wt of 322,000 +/- 2000, comprising four subunits, 2 alpha (83,000) and 2 beta (78,000). Verrucotoxin, as the crude venom, is lethal for mice, haemolyses washed rabbit erythrocytes and induces a fall in arterial pressure in anaesthetized rats.