Haemolysins in venoms of Australian snakes. Observations on the haemolysins of the venoms of some Australian snakes and the separation of phospholipase A from the venom of Pseudechis porphyriacus

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Abstract
Both phospholipase A and direct hemolysin are found among the common venomous species of Australian snakes, phospholipase A being more generally distributed. The venoms of three species of Pseudechis genus, namely porphyriacus, papuanus and australis are rich in both hemolysins. In the venoms of Notechis scutalus scutalus, Oxyuranus scutellatus, Acanthophis antarticus and Demansia textilis textilis. the direct hemolysin was either not detected or present in small concentrations compared with that of the venom of Pseudechis porphyriacus. A number of fractions containing phospholipase A activity were separated from the venom of P porphyriacus. One of these contained sevenfold the activity of the crude venom. A family of enzymes is indicated, with possible substrate or activation specificities. The relationship of these preparations to phospholipase A prepared from other venoms is discussed.