mpressive array of pharmacological/toxicological activities which have originated through a process of ‘accelerated evolution’, particularly in residues located in the surface of these molecules (Nakashima et al., 1993; Kini and Chan, 1999). Venom PLA2s therefore represent an intriguing puzzle from the structure–function standpoint.
The efforts to characterize and understand venom PLA2s date back to the first decades of the last century and significant advances were performed in the decades thereafter. Many groups in various continents have contributed to unveil the complex mechanisms of action of these venom enzymes, particularly regarding their ability to block neuromuscular transmission and to induce acute muscle damage, two activities responsible for key clinical manifestations in human envenomings induced by the venoms of many snakes (Warrell, 1996). Likewise, the study of PLA2 structure and the identification of structural determinants of toxicity in these venom enzymes has become a fruitful and active field of investigation. The present work highlights some of the seminal contributions published in the field of snake venom PLA2s. The selection of these studies does not pretend to constitute a definitive judgment, and many other publications not included in this