Amino acid sequence of a cystatin from venom of the African puff adder (Bitis arietans)

Abstract

The amino acid sequence of a cystatin from the venom of the African puff adder (Bitis arietans) is reported. It shows the protein to be more closely related to the Type 2 cystatins than the others, and yet it is only 31-37% identical to the known Type 2 cystatins, and differs strikingly in the insertion of a six-residue segment.