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Medical Definition of Direct lytic factors
1. most abundant proteins in cobra (naja of the elapids) venom; basic polypeptides of 57 to 62 amino acids with four disulfide bonds and a molecular weight of less than 7000; causes skeletal and cardiac muscle contracture, interferes with neuromuscular and ganglionic transmission, depolarises nerve, muscle and blood cell membranes, thus causing haemolysis. Synonym: cobramine a; cobramine b; cobra cytotoxin; gamma toxin; membrane-active polypeptide. (12 Dec 1998)