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Pereañez JA, Preciado LM, Rey-Suárez P. Knowledge about Snake Venoms and Toxins from Colombia: A Systematic Review. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:658. [PMID: 37999521 PMCID: PMC10675826 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15110658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Colombia encompasses three mountain ranges that divide the country into five natural regions: Andes, Pacific, Caribbean, Amazon, and Orinoquia. These regions offer an impressive range of climates, altitudes, and landscapes, which lead to a high snake biodiversity. Of the almost 300 snake species reported in Colombia, nearly 50 are categorized as venomous. This high diversity of species contrasts with the small number of studies to characterize their venom compositions and natural history in the different ecoregions. This work reviews the available information about the venom composition, isolated toxins, and potential applications of snake species found in Colombia. Data compilation was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines, and the systematic literature search was carried out in Pubmed/MEDLINE. Venom proteomes from nine Viperidae and three Elapidae species have been described using quantitative analytical strategies. In addition, venoms of three Colubridae species have been studied. Bioactivities reported for some of the venoms or isolated components-such as antibacterial, cytotoxicity on tumoral cell lines, and antiplasmodial properties-may be of interest to develop potential applications. Overall, this review indicates that, despite recent progress in the characterization of venoms from several Colombian snakes, it is necessary to perform further studies on the many species whose venoms remain essentially unexplored, especially those of the poorly known genus Micrurus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Andrés Pereañez
- Research Group in Toxinology, Pharmaceutical, and Food Alternatives, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences Faculty, University of Antioquia, Medellín 50010, Colombia; (L.M.P.); (P.R.-S.)
- Research Group in Pharmaceutical Promotion and Prevention, University of Antioquia, Medellín 50010, Colombia
| | - Lina María Preciado
- Research Group in Toxinology, Pharmaceutical, and Food Alternatives, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences Faculty, University of Antioquia, Medellín 50010, Colombia; (L.M.P.); (P.R.-S.)
| | - Paola Rey-Suárez
- Research Group in Toxinology, Pharmaceutical, and Food Alternatives, Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences Faculty, University of Antioquia, Medellín 50010, Colombia; (L.M.P.); (P.R.-S.)
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8320000, Chile
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Truong NV, Phan TTT, Hsu TS, Phu Duc P, Lin LY, Wu WG. Action mechanism of snake venom l-amino acid oxidase and its double-edged sword effect on cancer treatment: Role of pannexin 1-mediated interleukin-6 expression. Redox Biol 2023; 64:102791. [PMID: 37385076 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Snake venom l-amino acid oxidases (svLAAOs) have been recognized as promising candidates for anticancer therapeutics. However, multiple aspects of their catalytic mechanism and the overall responses of cancer cells to these redox enzymes remain ambiguous. Here, we present an analysis of the phylogenetic relationships and active site-related residues among svLAAOs and reveal that the previously proposed critical catalytic residue His 223 is highly conserved in the viperid but not the elapid svLAAO clade. To gain further insight into the action mechanism of the elapid svLAAOs, we purify and characterize the structural, biochemical, and anticancer therapeutic potentials of the Thailand elapid snake Naja kaouthia LAAO (NK-LAAO). We find that NK-LAAO, with Ser 223, exhibits high catalytic activity toward hydrophobic l-amino acid substrates. Moreover, NK-LAAO induces substantial oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxicity with the magnitude relying on both the levels of extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during the enzymatic redox reactions, but not being influenced by the N-linked glycans on its surface. Unexpectedly, we discover a tolerant mechanism deployed by cancer cells to dampen the anticancer activities of NK-LAAO. NK-LAAO treatment amplifies interleukin (IL)-6 expression via the pannexin 1 (Panx1)-directed intracellular calcium (iCa2+) signaling pathway to confer adaptive and aggressive phenotypes on cancer cells. Accordingly, IL-6 silencing renders cancer cells vulnerable to NK-LAAO-induced oxidative stress together with abrogating NK-LAAO-stimulated metastatic acquisition. Collectively, our study urges caution when using svLAAOs in cancer treatment and identifies the Panx1/iCa2+/IL-6 axis as a therapeutic target for improving the effectiveness of svLAAOs-based anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nam V Truong
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Trinh T T Phan
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Tzu-Sheng Hsu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Phan Phu Duc
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Lih-Yuan Lin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Wen-Guey Wu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, College of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan, ROC.
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3
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Urra FA, Vivas-Ruiz DE, Sanchez EF, Araya-Maturana R. An Emergent Role for Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in the Action of Snake Venom Toxins on Cancer Cells. Front Oncol 2022; 12:938749. [PMID: 35924151 PMCID: PMC9343075 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.938749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Beyond the role of mitochondria in apoptosis initiation/execution, some mitochondrial adaptations support the metastasis and chemoresistance of cancer cells. This highlights mitochondria as a promising target for new anticancer strategies. Emergent evidence suggests that some snake venom toxins, both proteins with enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities, act on the mitochondrial metabolism of cancer cells, exhibiting unique and novel mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. Currently, six toxin classes (L-amino acid oxidases, thrombin-like enzymes, secreted phospholipases A2, three-finger toxins, cysteine-rich secreted proteins, and snake C-type lectin) that alter the mitochondrial bioenergetics have been described. These toxins act through Complex IV activity inhibition, OXPHOS uncoupling, ROS-mediated permeabilization of inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM), IMM reorganization by cardiolipin interaction, and mitochondrial fragmentation with selective migrastatic and cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. Notably, selective internalization and direct action of snake venom toxins on tumor mitochondria can be mediated by cell surface proteins overexpressed in cancer cells (e.g. nucleolin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans) or facilitated by the elevated Δψm of cancer cells compared to that non-tumor cells. In this latter case, selective mitochondrial accumulation, in a Δψm-dependent manner, of compounds linked to cationic snake peptides may be explored as a new anti-cancer drug delivery system. This review analyzes the effect of snake venom toxins on mitochondrial bioenergetics of cancer cells, whose mechanisms of action may offer the opportunity to develop new anticancer drugs based on toxin scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix A. Urra
- Laboratorio de Plasticidad Metabólica y Bioenergética, Programa de Farmacología Clínica y Molecular, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile
- Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, Chile
- *Correspondence: Félix A. Urra,
| | - Dan E. Vivas-Ruiz
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Ciudad Universitaria, Lima, Peru
| | - Eladio Flores Sanchez
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratory of Biochemistry of Proteins from Animal Venoms, Research and Development Center, Ezequiel Dias Foundation, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ramiro Araya-Maturana
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile
- Interdisciplinary Group on Mitochondrial Targeting and Bioenergetics (MIBI), Talca, Chile
- Laboratorio de Productos Bioactivos, Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
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Abdelkafi-Koubaa Z, ELBini-Dhouib I, Souid S, Jebali J, Doghri R, Srairi-Abid N, Essafi-Benkhadir K, Micheau O, Marrakchi N. Pharmacological Investigation of CC-LAAO, an L-Amino Acid Oxidase from Cerastes cerastes Snake Venom. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13120904. [PMID: 34941741 PMCID: PMC8704781 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13120904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake venom proteins, which are responsible for deadly snakebite envenomation, induce severe injuries including neurotoxicity, myotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, hemorrhage, and the disruption of blood homeostasis. Yet, many snake-venom proteins have been developed as potential drugs for treating human diseases due to their pharmacological effects. In this study, we evaluated the use of, an L-amino acid oxidase isolated from Cerastes cerastes snake venom CC-LAAO, as a potential anti-glioblastoma drug, by investigating its in vivo and in vitro pharmacological effects. Our results showed that acute exposure to CC-LAAO at 1 and 2.5 µg/mL does not induce significant toxicity on vital organs, as indicated by the murine blood parameters including aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, and creatinine levels. The histopathological examination demonstrated that only at high concentrations did CC-LAAO induce inflammation and necrosis in several organs of the test subjects. Interestingly, when tested on human glioblastoma U87 cells, CC-LAAO induced a dose-dependent apoptotic effect through the H2O2 generated during the enzymatic reaction. Taken altogether, our data indicated that low concentration of CC-LAAO may be safe and may have potential in the development of anti-glioblastoma agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaineb Abdelkafi-Koubaa
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, Venins et Applications Théranostiques (LR20IPT01), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; (I.E.-D.); (J.J.); (N.S.-A.); (N.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Ines ELBini-Dhouib
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, Venins et Applications Théranostiques (LR20IPT01), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; (I.E.-D.); (J.J.); (N.S.-A.); (N.M.)
| | - Soumaya Souid
- Laboratoire d’Epidémiologie Moléculaire et de Pathologie Expérimentale (LR16IPT04), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; (S.S.); (K.E.-B.)
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, 1800 Bienville Drive, Monroe, LA 71201, USA
| | - Jed Jebali
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, Venins et Applications Théranostiques (LR20IPT01), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; (I.E.-D.); (J.J.); (N.S.-A.); (N.M.)
| | - Raoudha Doghri
- Département d’Anatomie Pathologique, Institut Salah Azaiez, Bab Saadoun, Tunis 1006, Tunisia;
| | - Najet Srairi-Abid
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, Venins et Applications Théranostiques (LR20IPT01), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; (I.E.-D.); (J.J.); (N.S.-A.); (N.M.)
| | - Khadija Essafi-Benkhadir
- Laboratoire d’Epidémiologie Moléculaire et de Pathologie Expérimentale (LR16IPT04), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; (S.S.); (K.E.-B.)
| | - Olivier Micheau
- Lipides Nutrition Cancer, INSERM-UMR 1231, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UFR Science de Santé, 7 Bd Jeanne d’Arc, 21000 Dijon, France;
| | - Naziha Marrakchi
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, Venins et Applications Théranostiques (LR20IPT01), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1002, Tunisia; (I.E.-D.); (J.J.); (N.S.-A.); (N.M.)
- Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1068, Tunisia
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Baudou FG, Rodriguez JP, Fusco L, de Roodt AR, De Marzi MC, Leiva L. South American snake venoms with abundant neurotoxic components. Composition and toxicological properties. A literature review. Acta Trop 2021; 224:106119. [PMID: 34481791 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In South America there are three snake genera with predominantly neurotoxic venoms: Crotalus, Micrurus and Hydrophis, which include nine species/subspecies, 97 species and a single marine species, respectively. Although accidents with neurotoxic venoms are less frequent than those with anticoagulant, cytotoxic or necrotic venoms (e.g. from Bothrops), they are of major public health importance. Venoms from genus Crotalus have been extensively studied, while data on the venoms from the other two genera are very limited, especially for Hydrophis. The venoms of North and South American Crotalus species show biochemical and physiopathological differences. The former species cause bothrops-like envenomation symptoms, while the latter mainly have neurotoxic and myotoxic effects, leading to respiratory paralysis and, occasionally, renal failure by myoglobinuria and death, often with no local lesions. Micrurus and Hydrophis also cause neurotoxic envenomations. Many studies have isolated, identified and characterized new enzymes and toxins, thus expanding the knowledge of snake venom composition. The present review summarizes the currently available information on neurotoxic venoms from South American snakes, with a focus on protein composition and toxicological properties. It also includes some comments concerning potential medical applications of elapid and crotalic toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico G Baudou
- Universidad Nacional de Luján (UNLu), Depto. de Ciencias Básicas, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Inmunología, Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable (INEDES), UNLu-CONICET, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Juan P Rodriguez
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de la Facultad de Medicina (LIBIM), Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (IQUIBA-NEA), Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (UNNE-CONICET), Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Luciano Fusco
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas (LabInPro), IQUIBA-NEA (UNNE, CONICET), FaCENA, (UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Adolfo R de Roodt
- Área Investigación y Desarrollo-Venenos, Instituto Nacional de Producción de Biológicos, Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Argentina; Primera Cátedra de Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Toxinopatología, Centro de Patología Experimental y Aplicada, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauricio C De Marzi
- Universidad Nacional de Luján (UNLu), Depto. de Ciencias Básicas, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Laboratorio de Inmunología, Instituto de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable (INEDES), UNLu-CONICET, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura Leiva
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas (LabInPro), IQUIBA-NEA (UNNE, CONICET), FaCENA, (UNNE), Corrientes, Argentina
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Abstract
Oxidative stress is caused by the imbalance between the generation of free radicals/reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidant defense systems, which can activate various transcription factors and affect their transcriptional pathways. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the occurrence and development of leukemia and is closely related to the treatment and prognosis of leukemia. The standard chemotherapy strategies for the pre-treatment of leukemia have many drawbacks. Hence, the usage of antioxidants and oxidants in the treatment of leukemia is being explored and has been preliminarily applied. This article reviews the research progress of oxidative stress and leukemia. In addition, the application of antioxidants treatment in leukemia has been summarized.
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Kasai K, Nakano M, Ohishi M, Nakamura T, Miura T. Antimicrobial properties of L-amino acid oxidase: biochemical features and biomedical applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:4819-4832. [PMID: 34106313 PMCID: PMC8188536 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11381-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Mucus layer that covers the body surface of various animal functions as a defense barrier against microbes, environmental xenobiotics, and predators. Previous studies have reported that L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO), present in several animal fluids, has potent properties against pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites. LAAO catalyzes the oxidative deamination of specific L-amino acids with the generation of hydrogen peroxide and L-amino acid metabolites. Further, the generated hydrogen peroxide is involved in oxidation (direct effect) while the metabolites activate immune responses (indirect effect). Therefore, LAAO exhibits two different mechanisms of bioactivation. Previously, we described the selective, specific, and local oxidative and potent antibacterial actions of various LAAOs as potential therapeutic strategies. In this review, we focus on their biochemical features, enzymatic regulations, and biomedical applications with a view of describing their probable role as biochemical agents and biomarkers for microbial infections, cancer, and autoimmune-mediated diseases. We consider that LAAOs hold implications in biomedicine owing to their antimicrobial activity wherein they can be used in treatment of infectious diseases and as diagnostic biomarkers in the above-mentioned diseased conditions. Key points •Focus on biochemical features, enzymatic regulation, and biomedical applications of LAAOs. •Mechanisms of antimicrobial activity, inflammatory regulation, and immune responses of LAAOs. •Potential biomedical application as an antimicrobial and anti-infection agent, and disease biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Kasai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Medical Life Sciences, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1, Hon-cho, 036-8564, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
| | - Manabu Nakano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Medical Life Sciences, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1, Hon-cho, 036-8564, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
| | | | - Toshiya Nakamura
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Medical Life Sciences, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1, Hon-cho, 036-8564, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
| | - Tomisato Miura
- Department of Risk Analysis and Biodosimetry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1, Hon-cho, 036-8564, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
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Boda F, Banfai K, Garai K, Kovacs B, Almasi A, Scheffer D, Sinkler RL, Csonka R, Czompoly T, Kvell K. Effect of Bitis gabonica and Dendroaspis angusticeps snake venoms on apoptosis-related genes in human thymic epithelial cells. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2020; 26:e20200057. [PMID: 33402885 PMCID: PMC7745260 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Certain environmental toxins permanently damage the thymic epithelium, accelerate immune senescence and trigger secondary immune pathologies. However, the exact underlying cellular mechanisms and pathways of permanent immune intoxication remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate gene expressional changes of apoptosis-related cellular pathways in human thymic epithelial cells following exposure to snake venom from Bitis gabonica and Dendroaspis angusticeps. Methods: Snake venoms were characterized by analytical methods including reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, then applied on human thymic epithelial cells (1889c) for 24 h at 10 μg/mL (as used in previous TaqMan Array study). Gene expressional changes restricted to apoptosis were assayed by TaqMan Array (Human Apoptosis Plate). Results: The most prominent gene expressional changes were shown by CASP5 (≈ 2.5 million-fold, confirmed by dedicated quantitative polymerase chain reaction) and CARD9 (0.016-fold) for B. gabonica, and BIRC7 (6.46-fold) and CASP1 (0.30-fold) for D. angusticeps. Conclusion: The observed apoptotic environment suggests that pyroptosis may be the dominant pathway through which B. gabonica and D. angusticeps snake venoms trigger thymic epithelial apoptosis following envenomation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisc Boda
- Department F1, Faculty of Pharmacy, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Krisztina Banfai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Food Biotechnology Research Group, Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Kitti Garai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Food Biotechnology Research Group, Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Bela Kovacs
- Department F1, Faculty of Pharmacy, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Targu Mures, Romania
| | - Attila Almasi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Dalma Scheffer
- Food Biotechnology Research Group, Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Soft Flow Ltd., Pecs, Hungary
| | - Reka Lambertne Sinkler
- Food Biotechnology Research Group, Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Soft Flow Ltd., Pecs, Hungary
| | - Robert Csonka
- Food Biotechnology Research Group, Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Soft Flow Ltd., Pecs, Hungary
| | - Tamas Czompoly
- Food Biotechnology Research Group, Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Soft Flow Ltd., Pecs, Hungary
| | - Krisztian Kvell
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.,Food Biotechnology Research Group, Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
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Urra FA, Araya-Maturana R. Putting the brakes on tumorigenesis with snake venom toxins: New molecular insights for cancer drug discovery. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 80:195-204. [PMID: 32428714 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells exhibit molecular characteristics that confer them different proliferative capacities and survival advantages to adapt to stress conditions, such as deregulation of cellular bioenergetics, genomic instability, ability to promote angiogenesis, invasion, cell dormancy, immune evasion, and cell death resistance. In addition to these hallmarks of cancer, the current cytostatic drugs target the proliferation of malignant cells, being ineffective in metastatic disease. These aspects highlight the need to identify promising therapeutic targets for new generations of anti-cancer drugs. Toxins isolated from snake venoms are a natural source of useful molecular scaffolds to obtain agents with a selective effect on cancer cells. In this article, we discuss the recent advances in the molecular mechanisms of nine classes of snake toxins that suppress the hallmarks of cancer by induction of oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction, reactive oxygen species-dependent DNA damage, blockage of extracellular matrix-integrin signaling, disruption of cytoskeleton network and inhibition of growth factor-dependent signaling. The possible therapeutic implications of toxin-based anti-cancer drug development are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix A Urra
- Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Independencia 1027, Santiago 7800003, Chile; Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago 7800003, Chile.
| | - Ramiro Araya-Maturana
- Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago 7800003, Chile; Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile; Programa de Investigación Asociativa en Cáncer Gástrico, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile.
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