Hydrolyzes DNA with an optimum pH of 7.2. Is potently hepatotoxic. It induces caspase-independent apoptosis (on rat liver cells) through the following procedure: binding to a specific receptor in the cytoplasmic membrane, entering the cell, entering the nucleus and degrading DNA. Endonucleolytic cleavage to nucleoside 3'-phosphates and 3'-phosphooligonucleotide end-products. Plancitoxin is a heterodimer of alpha and beta subunits; disulfide-linked by a single disulfide bond. Venom gland. LD(50) is 140 ug/kg by intraventricular injection into mice. Belongs to the DNase II family.