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Chanda A, Salvi NC, Shelke PV, Kalita B, Patra A, Puzari U, Khadilkar MV, Mukherjee AK. Supplementation of polyclonal antibodies, developed against epitope-string toxin-specific peptide immunogens, to commercial polyvalent antivenom, shows improved neutralization of Indian Big Four and Naja kaouthia snake venoms. Toxicon X 2024; 24:100210. [PMID: 39398349 PMCID: PMC11471238 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2024.100210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Snakebites profoundly impact the rural population of tropical nations, leading to significant socio-economic repercussions. Polyvalent antivenom (PAV) therapy faces several limitations, including intra-specific variations and poor efficacy against some major toxins and low molecular mass, poorly immunogenic toxins, which contribute to increased mortality and morbidity rates. Innovative strategies for developing novel antivenoms are continuously explored to address these challenges. The present study focuses on designing of 17 epitope-string toxin-specific peptide immunogens from pharmacologically active major and/or poorly immunogenic toxins (snake venom metalloprotease, Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor, phospholipase A2, three-finger toxin) from the venom of the 'Big Four' venomous snakes and Naja kaouthia (NK) in India. These custom peptide antibodies demonstrated robust immuno-reactivity against the venoms 'Big Four' and NK. When these antibodies were supplemented with commercial PAV at a defined ratio (formulated polyvalent antivenom or FPAV), it significantly enhanced the neutralization of snake venom enzymes and in vivo neutralization of lethality and pharmacological activities such as haemorrhage, necrosis, pro-coagulant, defibrinogenation, and myotoxicity of 'Big Four' and NK venoms compared to PAV in mice. The present study highlights a promising strategy for developing next-generation antivenoms using synthetic peptide-based immunogens, offering a targeted approach to address the limitations of current antivenom therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Chanda
- Microbial Biotechnology and Protein Research Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur, 784028, Assam, India
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 97331, Oregon, USA
| | - Nitin C. Salvi
- Premium Serums and Vaccines Pvt. Ltd, Narayangaon, Pune, 410504, Maharashtra, India
| | - Pravin V. Shelke
- Premium Serums and Vaccines Pvt. Ltd, Narayangaon, Pune, 410504, Maharashtra, India
| | - Bhargab Kalita
- Microbial Biotechnology and Protein Research Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur, 784028, Assam, India
- Amrita Research Centre, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Faridabad, Haryana, 121002, India
| | - Aparup Patra
- Microbial Biotechnology and Protein Research Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur, 784028, Assam, India
- Amrita Research Centre, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Faridabad, Haryana, 121002, India
| | - Upasana Puzari
- Microbial Biotechnology and Protein Research Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur, 784028, Assam, India
| | - Milind V. Khadilkar
- Premium Serums and Vaccines Pvt. Ltd, Narayangaon, Pune, 410504, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ashis K. Mukherjee
- Microbial Biotechnology and Protein Research Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur, 784028, Assam, India
- Division of Life Sciences, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Vigyan Path Garchuk, Paschim Boragaon, Guwahati, 781035, Assam, India
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Uko SO, Malami I, Ibrahim KG, Lawal N, Bello MB, Abubakar MB, Imam MU. Revolutionizing snakebite care with novel antivenoms: Breakthroughs and barriers. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25531. [PMID: 38333815 PMCID: PMC10850593 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25531] [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] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming (SBE) is a global public health concern, primarily due to the lack of effective antivenom for treating snakebites inflicted by medically significant venomous snakes prevalent across various geographic locations. The rising demand for safe, cost-effective, and potent snakebite treatments highlights the urgent need to develop alternative therapeutics targeting relevant toxins. This development could provide promising discoveries to create novel recombinant solutions, leveraging human monoclonal antibodies, synthetic peptides and nanobodies. Such technologies as recombinant DNA, peptide and epitope mapping phage display etc) have the potential to exceed the traditional use of equine polyclonal antibodies, which have long been used in antivenom production. Recombinant antivenom can be engineered to target certain toxins that play a critical role in snakebite pathology. This approach has the potential to produce antivenom with improved efficacy and safety profiles. However, there are limitations and challenges associated with these emerging technologies. Therefore, identifying the limitations is critical for overcoming the associated challenges and optimizing the development of recombinant antivenoms. This review is aimed at presenting a thorough overview of diverse technologies used in the development of recombinant antivenom, emphasizing their limitations and offering insights into prospects for advancing recombinant antivenoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Odo Uko
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical and Life Sciecnes, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Ibrahim Malami
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Kasimu Ghandi Ibrahim
- Department of Basic Medical and Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Zarqa University, P. O. Box 2000, Zarqa, 13110, Jordan
| | - Nafiu Lawal
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
| | - Muhammad Bashir Bello
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
- Vaccine Development Unit, Infectious Disease Research Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Murtala Bello Abubakar
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
- Department of Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Baze University, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Mustapha Umar Imam
- Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria
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3
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Virus-like particles displaying conserved toxin epitopes stimulate polyspecific, murine antibody responses capable of snake venom recognition. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11328. [PMID: 35790745 PMCID: PMC9256628 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13376-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Antivenom is currently the first-choice treatment for snakebite envenoming. However, only a low proportion of antivenom immunoglobulins are specific to venom toxins, resulting in poor dose efficacy and potency. We sought to investigate whether linear venom epitopes displayed on virus like particles can stimulate an antibody response capable of recognising venom toxins from diverse medically important species. Bioinformatically-designed epitopes, corresponding to predicted conserved regions of group I phospholipase A2 and three finger toxins, were engineered for display on the surface of hepatitis B core antigen virus like particles and used to immunise female CD1 mice over a 14 weeks. Antibody responses to all venom epitope virus like particles were detectable by ELISA by the end of the immunisation period, although total antibody and epitope specific antibody titres were variable against the different epitope immunogens. Immunoblots using pooled sera demonstrated recognition of various venom components in a diverse panel of six elapid venoms, representing three continents and four genera. Insufficient antibody yields precluded a thorough assessment of the neutralising ability of the generated antibodies, however we were able to test polyclonal anti-PLA2 IgG from three animals against the PLA2 activity of Naja nigricollis venom, all of which showed no neutralising ability. This study demonstrates proof-of-principle that virus like particles engineered to display conserved toxin linear epitopes can elicit specific antibody responses in mice which are able to recognise a geographically broad range of elapid venoms.
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Ros-Lucas A, Bigey P, Chippaux JP, Gascón J, Alonso-Padilla J. Computer-Aided Analysis of West Sub-Saharan Africa Snakes Venom towards the Design of Epitope-Based Poly-Specific Antivenoms. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:418. [PMID: 35737079 PMCID: PMC9229730 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14060418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenomation is a neglected tropical disease that causes over 100,000 deaths each year. The only effective treatment consists of antivenoms derived from animal sera, but these have been deemed with highly variable potency and are usually inaccessible and too costly for victims. The production of antivenoms by venom-independent techniques, such as the immunization with multi-epitope constructs, could circumvent those drawbacks. Herein, we present a knowledge-based pipeline to prioritize potential epitopes of therapeutic relevance from toxins of medically important snakes in West Sub-Saharan Africa. It is mainly based on sequence conservation and protein structural features. The ultimately selected 41 epitopes originate from 11 out of 16 snake species considered of highest medical importance in the region and 3 out of 10 of those considered as secondary medical importance. Echis ocellatus, responsible for the highest casualties in the area, would be covered by 12 different epitopes. Remarkably, this pipeline is versatile and customizable for the analysis of snake venom sequences from any other region of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Ros-Lucas
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Pascal Bigey
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, F-75006 Paris, France;
- Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Chippaux
- MERIT, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France;
| | - Joaquim Gascón
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII—CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Alonso-Padilla
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII—CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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5
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Zhang L, Cao Y, Liu M, Chen X, Xiang Q, Tian J. Functional recombinant single-chain variable fragment antibody against Agkistrodon acutus venom. Exp Ther Med 2019; 17:3768-3774. [PMID: 30988762 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2019.7348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Agkistrodon acutus bites are conventionally treated with animal-derived antivenom, the use of which is limited due to allergic reactions and serum sickness. Thus in the present study, the genes of humanized antibodies produced in response to A. acutus venom were extracted from lymphocytes from patients bitten by A. acutus. A single-chain variable fragment (scFv) library against venom was constructed using a T7 phage display system. ScFv genes that exhibited high affinity to venom were selected by library biopanning. An expression system was constructed for antivenom scFv fused with 6×His tag at its N- and C-terminus using pET-28a (+) vector. The scFv proteins could achieve functional and soluble expression in Escherichia coli via the auto-induction method. The purity and activity of the scFv genes and proteins were confirmed by SDS-PAGE, western blotting and ELISA. The results indicated that three soluble scFv proteins exhibited specific affinity to A. acutus venom and were harvested via the auto-induction method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Emergency, Southwest Hospital of the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China
| | - Yuliang Cao
- Department of Emergency, Southwest Hospital of the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China
| | - Minghua Liu
- Department of Emergency, Southwest Hospital of the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- Department of Emergency, Southwest Hospital of the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Xiang
- Department of Emergency, Southwest Hospital of the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China
| | - Jun Tian
- Department of Emergency, Southwest Hospital of the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China
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Bermúdez-Méndez E, Fuglsang-Madsen A, Føns S, Lomonte B, Gutiérrez JM, Laustsen AH. Innovative Immunization Strategies for Antivenom Development. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10110452. [PMID: 30400220 PMCID: PMC6265855 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10110452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes, scorpions, and spiders are venomous animals that pose a threat to human health, and severe envenomings from the bites or stings of these animals must be treated with antivenom. Current antivenoms are based on plasma-derived immunoglobulins or immunoglobulin fragments from hyper-immunized animals. Although these medicines have been life-saving for more than 120 years, opportunities to improve envenoming therapy exist. In the later decades, new biotechnological tools have been applied with the aim of improving the efficacy, safety, and affordability of antivenoms. Within the avenues explored, novel immunization strategies using synthetic peptide epitopes, recombinant toxins (or toxoids), or DNA strings as immunogens have demonstrated potential for generating antivenoms with high therapeutic antibody titers and broad neutralizing capacity. Furthermore, these approaches circumvent the need for venom in the production process of antivenoms, thereby limiting some of the complications associated with animal captivity and venom collection. Finally, an important benefit of innovative immunization approaches is that they are often compatible with existing antivenom manufacturing setups. In this review, we compile all reported studies examining venom-independent innovative immunization strategies for antivenom development. In addition, a brief description of toxin families of medical relevance found in snake, scorpion, and spider venoms is presented, as well as how biochemical, bioinformatic, and omics tools could aid the development of next-generation antivenoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Albert Fuglsang-Madsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 København N, Denmark.
| | - Sofie Føns
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Bruno Lomonte
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
| | - José María Gutiérrez
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
| | - Andreas Hougaard Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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7
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Guiding recombinant antivenom development by omics technologies. N Biotechnol 2018; 45:19-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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8
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Engmark M, Andersen MR, Laustsen AH, Patel J, Sullivan E, de Masi F, Hansen CS, Kringelum JV, Lomonte B, Gutiérrez JM, Lund O. High-throughput immuno-profiling of mamba (Dendroaspis) venom toxin epitopes using high-density peptide microarrays. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36629. [PMID: 27824133 PMCID: PMC5100549 DOI: 10.1038/srep36629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming is a serious condition requiring medical attention and administration of antivenom. Current antivenoms are antibody preparations obtained from the plasma of animals immunised with whole venom(s) and contain antibodies against snake venom toxins, but also against other antigens. In order to better understand the molecular interactions between antivenom antibodies and epitopes on snake venom toxins, a high-throughput immuno-profiling study on all manually curated toxins from Dendroaspis species and selected African Naja species was performed based on custom-made high-density peptide microarrays displaying linear toxin fragments. By detection of binding for three different antivenoms and performing an alanine scan, linear elements of epitopes and the positions important for binding were identified. A strong tendency of antivenom antibodies recognizing and binding to epitopes at the functional sites of toxins was observed. With these results, high-density peptide microarray technology is for the first time introduced in the field of toxinology and molecular details of the evolution of antibody-toxin interactions based on molecular recognition of distinctive toxic motifs are elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Engmark
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Bio and Health Informatics, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.,Technical University of Denmark, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Mikael R Andersen
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Andreas H Laustsen
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.,University of Copenhagen, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Copenhagen East, 2100, Denmark
| | - Jigar Patel
- Roche NimbleGen, Madison, Wisconsin 53719, USA
| | | | - Federico de Masi
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Bio and Health Informatics, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Christian S Hansen
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Bio and Health Informatics, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Jens V Kringelum
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Bio and Health Informatics, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Bruno Lomonte
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica
| | - José María Gutiérrez
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica
| | - Ole Lund
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Bio and Health Informatics, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
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9
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Ramos HR, Junqueira-de-Azevedo IDLM, Novo JB, Castro K, Duarte CG, Machado-de-Ávila RA, Chavez-Olortegui C, Ho PL. A Heterologous Multiepitope DNA Prime/Recombinant Protein Boost Immunisation Strategy for the Development of an Antiserum against Micrurus corallinus (Coral Snake) Venom. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004484. [PMID: 26938217 PMCID: PMC4777291 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Envenoming by coral snakes (Elapidae: Micrurus), although not abundant, represent a serious health threat in the Americas, especially because antivenoms are scarce. The development of adequate amounts of antielapidic serum for the treatment of accidents caused by snakes like Micrurus corallinus is a challenging task due to characteristics such as low venom yield, fossorial habit, relatively small sizes and ophiophagous diet. These features make it difficult to capture and keep these snakes in captivity for venom collection. Furthermore, there are reports of antivenom scarcity in USA, leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality, with patients needing to be intubated and ventilated while the toxin wears off. The development of an alternative method for the production of an antielapidic serum, with no need for snake collection and maintenance in captivity, would be a plausible solution for the antielapidic serum shortage. Methods and Findings In this work we describe the mapping, by the SPOT-synthesis technique, of potential B-cell epitopes from five putative toxins from M. corallinus, which were used to design two multiepitope DNA strings for the genetic immunisation of female BALB/c mice. Results demonstrate that sera obtained from animals that were genetically immunised with these multiepitope constructs, followed by booster doses of recombinant proteins lead to a 60% survival in a lethal dose neutralisation assay. Conclusion Here we describe that the genetic immunisation with a synthetic multiepitope gene followed by booster doses with recombinant protein is a promising approach to develop an alternative antielapidic serum against M. corallinus venom without the need of collection and the very challenging maintenance of these snakes in captivity. Coral snakes are a group of deadly venomous snakes that exhibit a characteristic red, yellow/white, and black coloured banding pattern. Accidents involving these snakes tend to be very severe or even lethal, causing peripheral nervous system depression with muscle paralysis and vasomotor instability. The only acceptable medical treatment for snakebite accidents is the administration of an antivenom, generally produced by immunising horses with the snake venom. Nonetheless, for what concerns the antielapidic serum production in Brazil, the total amount of venom available for horse immunisations is insufficient. This is mainly due to the small size of coral snake glands, their underground life style, combined with its very low survival rates in captivity. Moreover, cases of patients being intubated and ventilated as a consequence of antivenom shortage in USA have also been registered. In this work, we present an alternative method for the development of antielapidic serum, which does not rely upon snake capture. This serum was produced by a heterologous DNA prime—with a multiepitope DNA string coding for the most reactive epitopes from the most abundant toxins of M. corallinus, a coral snake which occupy highly populated areas in Brazil—followed by recombinant multiepitope protein boost immunisation of mice.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antivenins/immunology
- Antivenins/pharmacology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Elapidae/genetics
- Elapidae/immunology
- Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte/genetics
- Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Female
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Neutralization Tests
- Snake Bites/therapy
- Snake Venoms/genetics
- Snake Venoms/immunology
- Technology, Pharmaceutical/methods
- Vaccination/methods
- Vaccines, DNA/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, DNA/immunology
- Vaccines, Subunit/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Subunit/immunology
- Vaccines, Synthetic/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Karen Castro
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Clara Guerra Duarte
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Carlos Chavez-Olortegui
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paulo Lee Ho
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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10
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Proteomic analysis of the rare Uracoan rattlesnake Crotalus vegrandis venom: Evidence of a broad arsenal of toxins. Toxicon 2015; 107:234-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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11
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Brahma RK, McCleary RJR, Kini RM, Doley R. Venom gland transcriptomics for identifying, cataloging, and characterizing venom proteins in snakes. Toxicon 2014; 93:1-10. [PMID: 25448392 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Snake venoms are cocktails of protein toxins that play important roles in capture and digestion of prey. Significant qualitative and quantitative variation in snake venom composition has been observed among and within species. Understanding these variations in protein components is instrumental in interpreting clinical symptoms during human envenomation and in searching for novel venom proteins with potential therapeutic applications. In the last decade, transcriptomic analyses of venom glands have helped in understanding the composition of various snake venoms in great detail. Here we review transcriptomic analysis as a powerful tool for understanding venom profile, variation and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajeev Kungur Brahma
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784 028, Assam, India
| | - Ryan J R McCleary
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - R Manjunatha Kini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; University of South Australia, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
| | - Robin Doley
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784 028, Assam, India.
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12
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Xia X, Ma Y, Xue S, Wang A, Tao J, Zhao Y, Zhang Q, Liu R, Lu S. Cloning and molecular characterization of BumaMPs1, a novel metalloproteinases from the venom of scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch. Toxicon 2013; 76:234-8. [PMID: 24125658 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2013] [Revised: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 10/02/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Scorpion venoms metalloproteinase is involved in a number of important biological, physiological and pathophysiological processes. In this work, a complete sequence of metalloproteinase was first obtained from venom of scorpion Buthus martensi and named as BumaMPs1. BumaMPs1 has 393 amino acid residues containing with a molecular mass of 44.53 kDa, showing an isoelectric point of 5.66. The primary sequence analysis indicated that the BumaMPs1 contains a zinc-binding motif (HELGHNLGISH), methionine-turn motif (YIM), disintegrin-like domain (ETCD) and N-glycosylation site. The multiple alignment of its deduced amino acid sequence and those of other metalloproteinase showed a high structural similarly, mainly among class reprolysin proteases. The phylogenetic analysis showed early divergence and independent evolution of BumaMPs1 from other metalloproteinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xichao Xia
- Basal Medical College of Nanyang Medical University, Nanyang 473041, Henan Province, China.
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Harrison RA, Cook DA, Renjifo C, Casewell NR, Currier RB, Wagstaff SC. Research strategies to improve snakebite treatment: challenges and progress. J Proteomics 2011; 74:1768-80. [PMID: 21723969 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2011.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Antivenom is an effective treatment of snakebite but, because of the complex interplay of fiscal, epidemiological, therapeutic efficacy and safety issues, the mortality of snakebite remains unacceptably high. Efficiently combating this high level of preventable death amongst the world's most disadvantaged communities requires the globally-coordinated action of multiple intervention programmes. This is the overall objective of the Global Snakebite Initiative. This paper describes the challenges facing the research community to develop snakebite treatments that are more efficacious, safe and affordable than current therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Harrison
- Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
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Antivenoms for the treatment of snakebite envenomings: The road ahead. Biologicals 2011; 39:129-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2011.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2011] [Accepted: 02/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Luna KPO, da Silva MB, Pereira VRA. Clinical and immunological aspects of envenomations by Bothrops snakes. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2011. [DOI: 10.1590/s1678-91992011000200003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- KPO Luna
- University of Paraíba, Brazil; Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil
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Calvete JJ. Antivenomics and venom phenotyping: A marriage of convenience to address the performance and range of clinical use of antivenoms. Toxicon 2010; 56:1284-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2009] [Accepted: 12/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Calvete JJ, Sanz L, Cid P, de la Torre P, Flores-Díaz M, Dos Santos MC, Borges A, Bremo A, Angulo Y, Lomonte B, Alape-Girón A, Gutiérrez JM. Snake venomics of the Central American rattlesnake Crotalus simus and the South American Crotalus durissus complex points to neurotoxicity as an adaptive paedomorphic trend along Crotalus dispersal in South America. J Proteome Res 2010; 9:528-44. [PMID: 19863078 DOI: 10.1021/pr9008749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We report a comparative venomic and antivenomic characterization of the venoms of newborn and adult specimens of the Central American rattlesnake, Crotalus simus, and of the subspecies cumanensis, durissus, ruruima, and terrificus of South American Crotalus durissus. Neonate and adult C. simus share about 50% of their venom proteome. The venom proteome of 6-week-old C. simus is predominantly made of the neurotoxic heterodimeric phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2) crotoxin) (55.9%) and serine proteinases (36%), whereas snake venom Zn(2+)-metalloproteinases (SVMPs), exclusively of class PIII, represent only 2% of the total venom proteins. In marked contrast, venom from adult C. simus comprises toxins from 7 protein families. A large proportion (71.7%) of these toxins are SVMPs, two-thirds of which belong to the PIII class. These toxin profiles correlate well with the overall biochemical and pharmacological features of venoms from adult (hemorrhagic) and newborn (neurotoxic) C. simus specimens. The venoms of the South American Crotalus subspecies belong to one of two distinct phenotypes. C. d. cumanensis exhibits high levels of SVMPs and low lethal potency (LD(50)), whereas C. d. subspecies terrificus, ruruima, and durissus have low SVMP activity and high neurotoxicity to mice. Their overall toxin compositions explain the outcome of envenomation by these species. Further, in all C. simus and C. durissus venoms, the concentration of neurotoxins (crotoxin and crotamine) is directly related with lethal activity, whereas lethality and metalloproteinase activity show an inverse relationship. The similar venom toxin profiles of newborn C. simus and adult C. durissus terrificus, ruruima, and durissus subspecies strongly suggests that the South American taxa have retained juvenile venom characteristics in the adult form (paedomorphism) along their North-South stepping-stone dispersal. The driving force behind paedomorphism is often competition or predation pressure. The increased concentration of the neurotoxins crotoxin and crotamine in South American rattlesnake venoms strongly argues that the gain of neurotoxicity and lethal venom activities to mammals may have represented the key axis along which overall venom toxicity has evolved during Crotalus durissus invasion of South America. The paedomorphic trend is supported by a decreasing LNC (lethal neurotoxicity coefficient, defined as the ratio between the average LD(50) of the venom and the crotoxin + crotamine concentration) along the North-South axis, coincident with the evolutionary dispersal pattern of the Neotropical rattlesnakes. The indistinguisable immunoreactivity patterns of Costa Rican and Venezuelan polyvalent antivenoms toward C. simus and C. durissus venoms strongly suggest the possibility of using these antivenoms indistinctly for the management of snakebites by adult C. simus and by certain C. d. cumanensis populations exhibiting a hemorrhagic venom phenotype. The antivenomic results also explain why the antivenoms effectively neutralize the hemorrhagic activity of adult C. simus venoms but does not protect against adult C. durissus sp. and newborn C. simus envenomations. The identification of evolutionary trends among tropical Crotalus, as reported here, may have an impact in defining the mixture of venoms for immunization to produce an effective pan-American anti-Crotalus antivenom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Calvete
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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Jia Y, Pérez JC. Molecular cloning and characterization of cDNAs encoding metalloproteinases from snake venom glands. Toxicon 2009; 55:462-9. [PMID: 19799929 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2009] [Revised: 09/19/2009] [Accepted: 09/22/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) are a superfamily of zinc-dependent proteases and participate in a number of important biological, physiological and pathophysiological processes. In this work, we simultaneously amplified nine cDNAs encoding different classes of metalloproteinases from glands of four different snake species (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus, Crotalus atrox, Crotalus viridis viridis and Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) by RT-PCR with a pair of primers. Among the encoded metalloproteinases, two enzymes (AclVMP-I and AplVMP-I), three enzymes (CaVMP-II, CvvVMP-II and AplVMP-II) and four enzymes (AclVMP-III, CaVMP-III, CvvVMP-III and AplVMP-III) with the characteristic motif (HEXXHXXGXXH) of metalloproteinase belong to type P-I, P-II and P-III enzymes, respectively. Disintegrin domains of CaVMP-II and CvvVMP-II from two Crotatus snakes contain RGD-motif whereas AplVMP-II from Agkistrodon snake has KGD-motif. Instead of R/KGD-motif within disintegrin domain of SVMP-II enzyme, CaVMP-III, CvvVMP-III and AplVMP-III enzymes contain SECD-motif, while AclVMP-III has DDCD-motif in their corresponding position of disintegrin-like domains. There are 12 Cys amino acids in cysterin-rich domains of each P-III enzyme. Moreover, a disintegrin precursor (AplDis) with RGD-motif also simultaneously amplified from the glands of A.p. leucostoma while amplifying AplVMP-II and AplVMP-III, which indicated that different types of SVMPs and related genes are present in a single species of snake and share a consensus sequence at the 3' and 5' untranslated regions. RT-PCR result also showed that P-III is highly expressed in Crotalus snakes than in Agkistrodon snakes. Aligning the deduced amino acid sequence of these enzymes with other SVMPs from GenBank database indicated that this is the first report on the isolation of cDNAs encoding P-II and P-III enzymes from C.v. viridis and A.p. leucostoma snakes. The availability of these SVMP sequences directly facilitated further studies of structure characterization and diversified function analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Jia
- Natural Toxins Research Center, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas A & M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
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Gutiérrez JM, Lomonte B, León G, Alape-Girón A, Flores-Díaz M, Sanz L, Angulo Y, Calvete JJ. Snake venomics and antivenomics: Proteomic tools in the design and control of antivenoms for the treatment of snakebite envenoming. J Proteomics 2009; 72:165-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2009.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2008] [Revised: 01/01/2009] [Accepted: 01/07/2009] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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