1
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Wang CR, Harlington AC, Snel MF, Pukala TL. Characterisation of the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) venom using a multifaceted mass spectrometric-based approach. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2024; 1872:140992. [PMID: 38158032 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Snake venoms consist of highly biologically active proteins and peptides that are responsible for the lethal physiological effects of snakebite envenomation. In order to guide the development of targeted antivenom strategies, comprehensive understanding of venom compositions and in-depth characterisation of various proteoforms, often not captured by traditional bottom-up proteomic workflows, is necessary. Here, we employ an integrated 'omics' and intact mass spectrometry (MS)-based approach to profile the heterogeneity within the venom of the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca), adopting different analytical strategies to accommodate for the dynamic molecular mass range of venom proteins present. The venom proteome of N. melanoleuca was catalogued using a venom gland transcriptome-guided bottom-up proteomics approach, revealing a venom consisting of six toxin superfamilies. The subtle diversity present in the venom components was further explored using reversed phase-ultra performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC) coupled to intact MS. This approach showed a significant increase in the number of venom proteoforms within various toxin families that were not captured in previous studies. Furthermore, we probed at the higher-order structures of the larger venom proteins using a combination of native MS and mass photometry and revealed significant structural heterogeneity along with extensive post-translational modifications in the form of glycosylation in these larger toxins. Here, we show the diverse structural heterogeneity of snake venom proteins in the venom of N. melanoleuca using an integrated workflow that incorporates analytical strategies that profile snake venom at the proteoform level, complementing traditional venom characterisation approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ruth Wang
- Discipline of Chemistry, School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Alix C Harlington
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Marten F Snel
- Discipline of Chemistry, School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia; Proteomics, Metabolomics and MS-Imaging Core Facility, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Tara L Pukala
- Discipline of Chemistry, School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia.
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2
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Matkivska R, Samborska I, Maievskyi O. Effect of animal venom toxins on the main links of the homeostasis of mammals (Review). Biomed Rep 2024; 20:16. [PMID: 38144889 PMCID: PMC10739175 DOI: 10.3892/br.2023.1704] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The human body is affected by environmental factors. The dynamic balance between the organism and its environment results from the influence of natural, anthropogenic and social aspects. The factors of exogenous origin determine development of adaptive changes. The present article summarises the mechanisms of animal venom toxins and homeostasis disruption in the body of mammals. The mechanisms underlying pathological changes are associated with shifts in biochemical reactions. Components of the immune, nervous and endocrine systems are key in the host defense and adaptation processes in response to venom by triggering signalling pathways (PI3kinase pathway, arachidonic acid cascade). Animal venom toxins initiate the development of inflammatory processes, the synthesis of pro-inflammatory mediators (cytokines), ROS, proteolytic enzymes, activate the migration of leukocytes and macrophages. Keratinocytes and endothelial cells act as protective barriers under the action of animal venom toxins on the body of mammals. In addition, the formation of pores in cell membranes, structural changes in cell ion channels are characteristic of the action of animal venom toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruzhena Matkivska
- Department of Descriptive and Clinical Anatomy, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv 03680, Ukraine
| | - Inha Samborska
- Department of Biological and General Chemistry, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya 21018, Ukraine
| | - Oleksandr Maievskyi
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Educational and Scientific Center ‘Institute of Biology and Medicine’ of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv 03127, Ukraine
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3
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McFarlane LO, Pukala TL. Proteomic Investigation of Cape Cobra ( Naja nivea) Venom Reveals First Evidence of Quaternary Protein Structures. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:63. [PMID: 38393141 PMCID: PMC10892407 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16020063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Naja nivea (N. nivea) is classed as a category one snake by the World Health Organization since its envenomation causes high levels of mortality and disability annually. Despite this, there has been little research into the venom composition of N. nivea, with only one full venom proteome published to date. Our current study separated N. nivea venom using size exclusion chromatography before utilizing a traditional bottom-up proteomics approach to unravel the composition of the venom proteome. As expected by its clinical presentation, N. nivea venom was found to consist mainly of neurotoxins, with three-finger toxins (3FTx), making up 76.01% of the total venom proteome. Additionally, cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs), vespryns (VESPs), cobra venom factors (CVFs), 5'-nucleotidases (5'NUCs), nerve growth factors (NGFs), phospholipase A2s (PLA2), acetylcholinesterases (AChEs), Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor (KUN), phosphodiesterases (PDEs), L-amino acid oxidases (LAAOs), hydrolases (HYDs), snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), and snake venom serine protease (SVSP) toxins were also identified in decreasing order of abundance. Interestingly, contrary to previous reports, we find PLA2 toxins in N. nivea venom. This highlights the importance of repeatedly profiling the venom of the same species to account for intra-species variation. Additionally, we report the first evidence of covalent protein complexes in N. nivea venom, which likely contribute to the potency of this venom.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tara L. Pukala
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia;
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4
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Lopes-de-Souza L, Costal-Oliveira F, Rodrigues CR, Stransky S, de Assis TCS, Liberato C, Vivas-Ruiz D, Chocas AY, Guerra-Duarte C, Braga VMM, Chávez-Olortegui C. Bothrops atrox venom: Biochemical properties and cellular phenotypes of three highly toxic classes of toxins. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2023; 1871:140930. [PMID: 37442518 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Snake venoms have a complex mixture of compounds that are conserved across species and act synergistically, triggering severe local and systemic effects. Identification of the toxin classes that are most damaging to cell homeostasis would be a powerful approach to focus on the main activities that underpin envenomation. Here, we focus on the venom of Bothrops atrox, snake responsible for most of the accidents in Amazon region of South America. We identified the key cytotoxic toxin fractions from B. atrox venom and mapped their biochemical properties, protein composition and cell damage. Five fractions were obtained by mass exclusion chromatography and contained either a single class of enzymatic activity (i.e., L-amino acid oxidases or Hyaluronidases) or different activities co-distributed in two or more protein fractions (e.g., Metalloproteinases, Serine Proteases, or Phospholipases A2). Only three protein fractions reduced cell viability of primary human cells. Strikingly, such activity is accompanied by disruption of cell attachment to substratum and to neighbouring cells. Such strong perturbation of morphological cell features indicates likely defects in tissue integrity in vivo. Mass spectrometry identified the main classes of toxins that contribute to these phenotypes. We provide here a strategy for the selection of key cytotoxic proteins for targeted investigation of their mechanism of action and potential synergism during snakebite envenomation. Our data highlights putative toxins (or combinations of) that may be the focus of future therapeutic interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Lopes-de-Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Costal-Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Carolina Rego Rodrigues
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Stephanie Stransky
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Thamyres C S de Assis
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Camila Liberato
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Dan Vivas-Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular - Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM), Peru
| | - Armando Yarleque Chocas
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular - Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM), Peru
| | - Clara Guerra-Duarte
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vania M M Braga
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Carlos Chávez-Olortegui
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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5
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Romano JD, Li H, Napolitano T, Realubit R, Karan C, Holford M, Tatonetti NP. Discovering Venom-Derived Drug Candidates Using Differential Gene Expression. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:451. [PMID: 37505720 PMCID: PMC10467105 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15070451] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Venoms are a diverse and complex group of natural toxins that have been adapted to treat many types of human disease, but rigorous computational approaches for discovering new therapeutic activities are scarce. We have designed and validated a new platform-named VenomSeq-to systematically identify putative associations between venoms and drugs/diseases via high-throughput transcriptomics and perturbational differential gene expression analysis. In this study, we describe the architecture of VenomSeq and its evaluation using the crude venoms from 25 diverse animal species and 9 purified teretoxin peptides. By integrating comparisons to public repositories of differential expression, associations between regulatory networks and disease, and existing knowledge of venom activity, we provide a number of new therapeutic hypotheses linking venoms to human diseases supported by multiple layers of preliminary evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Romano
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
- Institute for Biomedical Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hai Li
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.L.); (R.R.); (C.K.)
- Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Tanya Napolitano
- Department of Chemistry, CUNY Hunter College, New York, NY 10032, USA (M.H.)
- The PhD Program in Biochemistry, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ronald Realubit
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.L.); (R.R.); (C.K.)
- Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Charles Karan
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; (H.L.); (R.R.); (C.K.)
- Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mandë Holford
- Department of Chemistry, CUNY Hunter College, New York, NY 10032, USA (M.H.)
- The PhD Program in Biochemistry, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- The PhD Program in Chemistry, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- The PhD Program in Biology, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, The American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nicholas P. Tatonetti
- Department of Computational Biomedicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90069, USA
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6
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Tsai TS, Tsai IH. Full sequencing and comparison of five venom metalloproteases of Trimeresurus gracilis: The PI-enzyme is most similar to okinalysin but the PIII-enzyme is most similar to Crotalus venom enzymes. Toxicon 2023; 225:107053. [PMID: 36758773 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107053] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The cDNAs encoding the Zn+2-metalloproteases (SVMPs) of Trimeresurus gracilis (abbreviated as Tgc), a pitviper endemic to Taiwan, were cloned from venom glands and sequenced. The amino-acid sequences of five novel SVMPs, including one P-III, three P-II and one P-I class enzymes, were thus deduced and subjected to BLAST-analyses. The P-III enzyme (designated as Tgc-PIII) is structurally most similar to the PIII-SVMPs of New World pitvipers but not similar to the PIII-SVMP of Ovophis okinavensis. Sequence-similarity analysis of 22 homologous PIII-SVMPs reveal three major structural subtypes of the pitviper PIII-SVMPs, which possibly have different substrate specificities. In addition, Tgc-PIII and the PI-class SVMP (named Tgc-MP) were isolated from the venom and verified by mass spectrometry. All the three deduced sequences of PII-SVMPs (Tgc-PIIs) contain an abnormal Zn+2-binding-site in their catalytic-domain, and an identical "long-disintegrin" domain. The predicted 85-residues disintegrin, gracilisin, bears high similarities to some long-disintegrins of the New-World pitvipers and salmosin3. By BLAST search and comparison, Tgc-MP is 96% similar to okinalysin, the hemorrhagic PI-SVMP of O. okinavensis, rather than any other PI-SVMPs in the databanks. Our results confirm the fast evolution of Tgc-SVMPs as well as their structural similarities to different SVMP-classes of the New-World pitvipers and of O. okinavensis, respectively. The implications of our findings are discussed along with our previous sequence comparisons of venom phospholipases A2 and ten venom serine proteases of Tgc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tein-Shun Tsai
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Inn-Ho Tsai
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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7
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Anti-Metalloprotease P-I Single-Domain Antibodies: Tools for Next-Generation Snakebite Antivenoms. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:2748962. [PMID: 35909472 PMCID: PMC9325618 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2748962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In order to address the global antivenom crisis, novel antivenoms need to present high therapeutic efficacy, broad neutralization ability against systemic and local damage, sufficient safety, and cost-effectiveness. Due to biological characteristics of camelid single-domain antibodies (VHH) such as high affinity, their ability to penetrate dense tissues, and facility for genetic manipulation, their application in antivenoms has expanded considerably. VHHs that are active against the metalloprotease BjussuMP-II from the snake Bothrops jararacussu were selected. After isolation of BjussuMP-II, a camelid was immunized with the purified toxin in order to construct the recombinant phage library. Following a round of biopanning, 52% of the selected clones were able to recognize BjussuMP-II in an ELISA assay. After sequencing, seven sequence profiles were identified. One selected clone (VHH61) showed cross-reactivity to B. brazili venom, but did not recognize the Crotalus and Lachesis genera, indicating specificity for the Bothrops genus. Through in vitro tests, the capacity to neutralize the toxicity triggered by BjussuMP-II was observed. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated a robust secondary structure for VHH61, and the calculated melting temperature (TM) for the clone was 56.4°C. In silico analysis, through molecular docking of anti-BjussuMP-II VHHs with metalloprotease, revealed their potential interaction with amino acids present in regions critical for the toxin's conformation and stability. The findings suggest that anti-BjussuMP-II VHHs may be beneficial in the development of next-generation antivenoms.
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8
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Hiu JJ, Yap MKK. The myth of cobra venom cytotoxin: More than just direct cytolytic actions. Toxicon X 2022; 14:100123. [PMID: 35434602 PMCID: PMC9011113 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2022.100123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cobra venom cytotoxin (CTX) is a non-enzymatic three-finger toxin that constitutes 40-60% of cobra venom. Thus, it plays an important role in the pathophysiology of cobra envenomation, especially in local dermonecrosis. The three-finger hydrophobic loops of CTX determine the cytotoxicity. Nevertheless, the actual mechanisms of cytotoxicity are not fully elucidated as they involve not only cytolytic actions but also intracellular signalling-mediated cell death pathways. Furthermore, the possible transition cell death pattern remains to be explored. The actual molecular mechanisms require further studies to unveil the relationship between different CTXs from different cobra species and cell types which may result in differential cell death patterns. Here, we discuss the biophysical interaction of CTX with the cell membrane involving four binding modes: electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic partitioning, isotropic phase, and oligomerisation. Oligomerisation of CTX causes pore formation in the membrane lipid bilayer. Additionally, the CTX-induced apoptotic pathway can be executed via death receptor-mediated extrinsic pathways and mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic pathways. We also discuss lysosomal-mediated necrosis and the occurrence of necroptosis following CTX action. Collectively, we provided an insight into concentration-dependent transition of cell death pattern which involves different mechanistic actions. This contributes a new direction for further investigation of cytotoxic pathways activated by the CTXs for future development of biotherapeutics targeting pathological effects caused by CTX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Jin Hiu
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Michelle Khai Khun Yap
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia.,Tropical Medicine and Biology Multidisciplinary Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
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9
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Analyzing the influence of age and sex in Bothrops pauloensis snake venom. Toxicon 2022; 214:78-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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10
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Roldán-Padrón O, Cruz-Pérez MS, Castro-Guillén JL, García-Arredondo JA, Mendiola-Olaya E, Saldaña-Gutiérrez C, Herrera-Paniagua P, Blanco-Labra A, García-Gasca T. Hybridization between Crotalus aquilus and Crotalus polystictus Species: A Comparison of Their Venom Toxicity and Enzymatic Activities. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:661. [PMID: 35625389 PMCID: PMC9138290 DOI: 10.3390/biology11050661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hybridization is defined as the interbreeding of individuals from two populations distinguishable by one or more heritable characteristics. Snake hybridization represents an interesting opportunity to analyze variability and how genetics affect the venom components between parents and hybrids. Snake venoms exhibit a high degree of variability related to biological and biogeographical factors. The aim of this work is to analyze the protein patterns and enzymatic activity of some of the main hemotoxic enzymes in snake venoms, such as serine proteases (trypsin-like, chymotrypsin-like, and elastase-like), metalloproteases, hyaluronidases, and phospholipase A2. The lethal dose of 50 (LD50) of venom from the Crotalus aquilus (Cabf) and Crotalus polystictus (Cpbm) parents and their hybrids in captivity was determined, and phenetic analysis is also conducted, which showed a high similarity between the hybrids and C. polystictus. The protein banding patterns and enzymatic activity analyze by zymography resulted in a combination of proteins from the parental venoms in the hybrids, with variability among them. In some cases, the enzymatic activity is higher in the hybrids with a lower LD50 than in the parents, indicating higher toxicity. These data show the variability among snake venoms and suggest that hybridization is an important factor in changes in protein concentration, peptide variability, and enzymatic activity that affect toxicity and lethality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Octavio Roldán-Padrón
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecuar, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Qro, Mexico; (O.R.-P.); (M.S.C.-P.); (C.S.-G.); (P.H.-P.)
| | - Martha Sandra Cruz-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecuar, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Qro, Mexico; (O.R.-P.); (M.S.C.-P.); (C.S.-G.); (P.H.-P.)
| | - José Luis Castro-Guillén
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Km. 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carr. Irapuato-León, Irapuato 36824, Gto, Mexico; (J.L.C.-G.); (E.M.-O.)
| | - José Alejandro García-Arredondo
- Laboratorio de Química Medicinal, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de las Campanas S/N, Centro Universitario, Queretaro 76010, Qro, Mexico;
| | - Elizabeth Mendiola-Olaya
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Km. 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carr. Irapuato-León, Irapuato 36824, Gto, Mexico; (J.L.C.-G.); (E.M.-O.)
| | - Carlos Saldaña-Gutiérrez
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecuar, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Qro, Mexico; (O.R.-P.); (M.S.C.-P.); (C.S.-G.); (P.H.-P.)
| | - Patricia Herrera-Paniagua
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecuar, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Qro, Mexico; (O.R.-P.); (M.S.C.-P.); (C.S.-G.); (P.H.-P.)
| | - Alejandro Blanco-Labra
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Km. 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carr. Irapuato-León, Irapuato 36824, Gto, Mexico; (J.L.C.-G.); (E.M.-O.)
| | - Teresa García-Gasca
- Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecuar, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Av. de las Ciencias S/N, Juriquilla, Queretaro 76230, Qro, Mexico; (O.R.-P.); (M.S.C.-P.); (C.S.-G.); (P.H.-P.)
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11
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Moraes JDN, Francisco AF, Dill LM, Diniz RS, Oliveira CSD, Silva TMRD, Caldeira CADS, Corrêa EDA, Coutinho-Neto A, Zanchi FB, Fontes MRDM, Soares AM, Calderon LDA. New multienzymatic complex formed between human cathepsin D and snake venom phospholipase A2. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2022; 28:e20220002. [DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2022-0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Aleff Ferreira Francisco
- São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil; Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology of Epidemiology of the Western Amazon, Brazil; Smart Active Ingredients Lab (SAIL), Brazil
| | | | - Rafaela Souza Diniz
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil; Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Brazil; Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology of Epidemiology of the Western Amazon, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Fernando Berton Zanchi
- Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Brazil; Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil
| | | | - Andreimar Martins Soares
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology of Epidemiology of the Western Amazon, Brazil; São Lucas University Center (UniSL), Brazil
| | - Leonardo de Azevedo Calderon
- Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil; Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR), Brazil; Smart Active Ingredients Lab (SAIL), Brazil; Aparicio Carvalho University Center (FIMCA), Brazil
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12
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Enriquez-Ochoa D, Meléndez-Martínez D, Aguilar-Yáñez JM, Licona-Cassani C, Mayolo-Deloisa K. Development of aqueous two-phase systems-based approaches for the selective recovery of metalloproteases and phospholipases A 2 toxins from Crotalus molossus nigrescens venom. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2021; 8:136. [PMID: 38650265 PMCID: PMC10992436 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-021-00487-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake venoms are rich sources of proteins with potential biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications. Among them, metalloproteases (MPs) and phospholipases A2 (PLA2) are the most abundant. Their isolation involves a multistep chromatographic approach, which has proven to be effective, however implies high operating costs and long processing times. In this study, a cost-effective and simple method based on aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) was developed to recover MPs and PLA2 from Crotalus molossus nigrescens venom. A system with PEG 400 g mol-1, volume ratio (VR) 1, tie line length (TLL) 25% w/w and pH 7 showed the best performance for PLA2 recovery. In systems with PEG 400 g mol-1, VR 1, TLL 15% w/w, pH 7 and 1 and 3% w/w of NaCl, selective recovery of MP subtype P-III was achieved; whereas, in a system with PEG 400 g mol-1, VR 1, TLL 25% w/w and pH 8.5, MP subtypes P-I and P-III were recovered. Due to their low costs, ethanol-salt systems were also evaluated, however, failed to differentially partition PLA2 and MPs. The use of ATPS could contribute to the simplification and cost reduction of protein isolation processes from snake venoms and other toxin fluids, as well as potentially aid their biochemical, proteomic and biological analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Enriquez-Ochoa
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - David Meléndez-Martínez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - José Manuel Aguilar-Yáñez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico
| | - Cuauhtemoc Licona-Cassani
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
- Tecnologico de Monterrey The Institute for Obesity Research, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
| | - Karla Mayolo-Deloisa
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Centro de Biotecnología-FEMSA, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
- Tecnologico de Monterrey The Institute for Obesity Research, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, 64849, Monterrey, NL, Mexico.
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13
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Antiprotozoal Effect of Snake Venoms and Their Fractions: A Systematic Review. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10121632. [PMID: 34959587 PMCID: PMC8707848 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10121632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Protozoal infection is a lingering public health issue of great concern, despite efforts to produce drugs and vaccines against it. Recent breakthrough research has discovered alternative antiprotozoal agents encompassing the use of snake venoms and their components to cure these infections. This study collated the existing literature to examine the antiprotozoal effect of snake venoms and their fractions. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed and Embase databases were searched from their inception until 13 October 2021. Articles were screened at the title, abstract and full-text phases. Some additional studies were obtained through the manual search process. Results: We identified 331 studies via the electronic database and manual searches, of which 55 reporting the antiprotozoal effect of snake venoms and their components were included in the review. Around 38% of studies examined the effect of whole crude venoms, and a similar percentage evaluated the effect of a proportion of enzymatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2). In particular, this review reports around 36 PLA2 activities and 29 snake crude venom activities. We also report the notable phenomenon of synergism with PLA2 isoforms of Bothrops asper. Importantly, limited attention has been given so far to the antiprotozoal efficacies of metalloproteinase, serine protease and three-finger toxins, although these venom components have been identified as significant components of the dominant venom families. Conclusion: This study highlights the impact of snake venoms and their fractions on controlling protozoal infections and suggests the need to examine further the effectiveness of other venom components, such as metalloproteinase, serine protease and three-finger toxins. Future research questions in this field must be redirected toward synergism in snake venom components, based on pharmacological usage and in the context of toxicology. Ascertaining the effects of snake venoms and their components on other protozoal species that have not yet been studied is imperative.
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14
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Yu C, Li R, Yin X, Yu H, Li P. Synergistic Effect of Proteinase Activity by Purification and Identification of Toxic Protease From Nemopilema nomurai. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:791847. [PMID: 34899353 PMCID: PMC8660593 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.791847] [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: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Scyphozoan Nemopilema nomurai envenomation is an unresolved threat to human health in Asian waters. Nemopilema nomurai venom metalloproteinases show important toxicities in skin damage and inflammation, but there is still no purified protein for further studies. In this study, high proteinase activity fractions in tentacle autolysis were isolated by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow, and Superdex 75 chromatography successively. Purification was guided by azocasein hydrolysis activity and SDS-PAGE. The final products were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Four elution peaks purified by Superdex 75 chromatography had multiple protein bands but did not show proteinase activity. These fractions would recover proteinase activity after mixing again. Regulation mechanisms were speculated as binding metalloproteinase regulator or disaggregating metalloproteinase inhibitor by LC-MS/MS analysis. For the first time, a synergistic effect in N. nomurai proteinase activity was found in the purification process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlin Yu
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Qingdao, China.,College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongfeng Li
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiujing Yin
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Qingdao, China.,College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huahua Yu
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Pengcheng Li
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Qingdao, China.,Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
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15
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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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16
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Ogawa T, Tobishima Y, Kamata S, Matsuda Y, Muramoto K, Hidaka M, Futai E, Kuraishi T, Yokota S, Ohno M, Hattori S. Focused Proteomics Analysis of Habu Snake ( Protobothrops flavoviridis) Venom Using Antivenom-Based Affinity Chromatography Reveals Novel Myonecrosis-Enhancing Activity of Thrombin-Like Serine Proteases. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:766406. [PMID: 34803710 PMCID: PMC8599580 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.766406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebites are one of the major causes of death and long-term disability in the developing countries due to the presence of various bioactive peptides and proteins in snake venom. In Japan, the venom of the habu snake (Protobothrops flavoviridis) causes severe permanent damage due to its myonecrotic toxins. Antivenom immunoglobulins are an effective therapy for snakebites, and antivenom was recently developed with effective suppressive activity against myonecrosis induced by snake venom. To compare the properties of an antivenom having anti-myonecrotic activity with those of conventional antivenom with no anti-myonecrotic activity, this study applied focused proteomics analysis of habu venom proteins using 2D gel electrophoresis. As a target protein for antivenom immunoglobulins with anti-myonecrotic activity, we identified a thrombin-like serine protease, TLSP2 (TLf2), which was an inactive proteolytic isoform due to the replacement of the active site, His43 with Arg. Additionally, we identified the unique properties and a novel synergistic function of pseudoenzyme TLf2 as a myonecrosis-enhancing factor. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a function of a catalytically inactive snake serine protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohisa Ogawa
- Laboratory of Enzymology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yu Tobishima
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Shizuka Kamata
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Youhei Matsuda
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Koji Muramoto
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Masafumi Hidaka
- Laboratory of Enzymology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Eugene Futai
- Laboratory of Enzymology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kuraishi
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Shinichi Yokota
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Motonori Ohno
- Department of Applied Life Science, Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Shosaku Hattori
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Kagoshima, Japan
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17
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Nie X, He Q, Zhou B, Huang D, Chen J, Chen Q, Yang S, Yu X. Exploring the five-paced viper ( Deinagkistrodon acutus) venom proteome by integrating a combinatorial peptide ligand library approach with shotgun LC-MS/MS. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2021; 27:e20200196. [PMID: 34745239 PMCID: PMC8547348 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Snake venoms are complex mixtures of toxic proteins or peptides encoded by various gene families that function synergistically to incapacitate prey. In the present study, in order to unravel the proteomic repertoire of Deinagkistrodon acutus venom, some trace abundance components were analyzed. METHODS Shotgun proteomic approach combined with shotgun nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS were employed to characterize the medically important D. acutus venom, after collected samples were enriched with the combinatorial peptide ligand library (CPLL). RESULTS This avenue helped us find some trace components, undetected before, in D. acutus venom. The results indicated that D. acutus venom comprised 84 distinct proteins from 10 toxin families and 12 other proteins. These results are more than twice the number of venom components obtained from previous studies, which were only 29 distinct proteins obtained through RP-HPLC for the venom of the same species. The present results indicated that in D. acutus venom, the most abundant components (66.9%) included metalloproteinases, serine proteinases, and C-type lectin proteins; the medium abundant components (13%) comprised phospholipases A2 (PLA2) and 5'-nucleotidases and nucleases; whereas least abundant components (6%) were aminopeptidases, L-amino acid oxidases (LAAO), neurotoxins and disintegrins; and the trace components. The last were undetected before the use of conventional shotgun proteomics combined with shotgun nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS, such as cysteine-rich secretory proteins Da-CRPa, phospholipases B-like 1, phospholipases B (PLB), nerve growth factors (NGF), glutaminyl-peptide cyclortransferases (QC), and vascular non-inflammatory molecules 2 (VNN2). CONCLUSION These findings demonstrated that the CPLL enrichment method worked well in finding the trace toxin proteins in D. acutus venom, in contrast with the previous venomic characterization of D. acutus by conventional LC-MS/MS. In conclusion, this approach combined with the CPLL enrichment was effective for allowing us to explore the hidden D. acutus venomic profile and extended the list of potential venom toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuekui Nie
- Animal Toxin Group, Engineering Research Center of Active Substance and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiyi He
- Animal Toxin Group, Engineering Research Center of Active Substance and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bin Zhou
- Library, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dachun Huang
- Animal Toxin Group, Engineering Research Center of Active Substance and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junbo Chen
- Animal Toxin Group, Engineering Research Center of Active Substance and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qianzi Chen
- Animal Toxin Group, Engineering Research Center of Active Substance and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shuqing Yang
- Emergency Department, Chongqing Emergency Medical Center, Chongqing University Central Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaodong Yu
- Animal Toxin Group, Engineering Research Center of Active Substance and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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18
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Tralau T, Oelgeschläger M, Kugler J, Bloch D, Braeuning A, Burgdorf T, Marx-Stoelting P, Ritz V, Schmeisser S, Trubiroha A, Zellmer S, Luch A, Schönfelder G, Solecki R, Hensel A. A prospective whole-mixture approach to assess risk of the food and chemical exposome. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 2:463-468. [PMID: 37117676 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-021-00316-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Many widely used chemicals result in ubiquitous human exposure from multiple sources, including diet. Legislation mainly deals with the toxicological evaluation of single substances owing to a methodological and conceptual lack of alternatives, and does so within defined silos subject to over 40 distinct regulations in the EU alone. Furthermore, much of the research and many of the initiatives concerned with the assessment and evaluation of chemical mixtures and their potential effects on human health rely on retrospective analysis. Here we propose an approach for the prospective identification, assessment and regulation of mixtures relevant to human health. We address two distinct aspects of toxicology-which chemicals actually do occur together, and how potential mixture-related health hazards can be predicted-with an adapted concept of the exposome and large-scale hazard screens. The proactive use of the likelihood of co-exposure, together with the new approach of methods-based testing, may be a timely and feasible way of identifying those substances and mixtures where hazards may have been overlooked and regulatory action is needed. Ideally, we would generate co-exposure patterns for specific consumer groups, depending on lifestyle and dietary habits, to assess the specific risk of identified mixtures.
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19
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Xie C, Bittenbinder MA, Slagboom J, Arrahman A, Bruijns S, Somsen GW, Vonk FJ, Casewell NR, García-Vallejo JJ, Kool J. Erythrocyte haemotoxicity profiling of snake venom toxins after nanofractionation. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2021; 1176:122586. [PMID: 33839052 PMCID: PMC7613003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.122586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Snakebite is classified as a priority Neglected Tropical Disease by the World Health Organization. Understanding the pathology of individual snake venom toxins is of great importance when developing more effective snakebite therapies. Snake venoms may induce a range of pathologies, including haemolytic activity. Although snake venom-induced erythrocyte lysis is not the primary cause of mortality, haemolytic activity can greatly debilitate victims and contributes to systemic haemotoxicity. Current assays designed for studying haemolytic activity are not suitable for rapid screening of large numbers of toxic compounds. Consequently, in this study, a high-throughput haemolytic assay was developed that allows profiling of erythrocyte lysis, and was validated using venom from a number of medically important snake species (Calloselasma rhodostoma, Daboia russelii, Naja mossambica, Naja nigricollis and Naja pallida). The assay was developed in a format enabling direct integration into nanofractionation analytics, which involves liquid chromatographic separation of venom followed by high-resolution fractionation and subsequent bioassaying (and optional proteomics analysis), and parallel mass spectrometric detection. Analysis of the five snake venoms via this nanofractionation approach involving haemolytic assaying provided venom-cytotoxicity profiles and enabled identification of the toxins responsible for haemolytic activity. Our results show that the elapid snake venoms (Naja spp.) contained both direct and indirect lytic toxins, while the viperid venoms (C. rhodostoma and D. russelii) only showed indirect lytic activities, which required the addition of phospholipids to exert cytotoxicity on erythrocytes. The haemolytic venom toxins identified were mainly phospholipase A2s and cytotoxic three finger toxins. Finally, the applicability of this new analytical method was demonstrated using a conventional snakebite antivenom treatment and a small-molecule drug candidate to assess neutralisation of venom cytotoxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunfang Xie
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Matyas A Bittenbinder
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arif Arrahman
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sven Bruijns
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Govert W Somsen
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Freek J Vonk
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Juan J García-Vallejo
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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20
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Deshwal A, Phan P, Datta J, Kannan R, Thallapuranam SK. A Meta-Analysis of the Protein Components in Rattlesnake Venom. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13060372. [PMID: 34071038 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13060372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The specificity and potency of venom components give them a unique advantage in developing various pharmaceutical drugs. Though venom is a cocktail of proteins, rarely are the synergy and association between various venom components studied. Understanding the relationship between various components of venom is critical in medical research. Using meta-analysis, we observed underlying patterns and associations in the appearance of the toxin families. For Crotalus, Dis has the most associations with the following toxins: PDE; BPP; CRL; CRiSP; LAAO; SVMP P-I and LAAO; SVMP P-III and LAAO. In Sistrurus venom, CTL and NGF have the most associations. These associations can predict the presence of proteins in novel venom and understand synergies between venom components for enhanced bioactivity. Using this approach, the need to revisit the classification of proteins as major components or minor components is highlighted. The revised classification of venom components is based on ubiquity, bioactivity, the number of associations, and synergies. The revised classification can be expected to trigger increased research on venom components, such as NGF, which have high biomedical significance. Using hierarchical clustering, we observed that the genera's venom compositions were similar, based on functional characteristics rather than phylogenetic relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anant Deshwal
- Division of Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Phuc Phan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Jyotishka Datta
- Department of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Ragupathy Kannan
- Department of Biology, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Fort Smith, AR 72913, USA
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21
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Senji Laxme RR, Attarde S, Khochare S, Suranse V, Martin G, Casewell NR, Whitaker R, Sunagar K. Biogeographical venom variation in the Indian spectacled cobra (Naja naja) underscores the pressing need for pan-India efficacious snakebite therapy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009150. [PMID: 33600405 PMCID: PMC7924803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Snake venom composition is dictated by various ecological and environmental factors, and can exhibit dramatic variation across geographically disparate populations of the same species. This molecular diversity can undermine the efficacy of snakebite treatments, as antivenoms produced against venom from one population may fail to neutralise others. India is the world’s snakebite hotspot, with 58,000 fatalities and 140,000 morbidities occurring annually. Spectacled cobra (Naja naja) and Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) are known to cause the majority of these envenomations, in part due to their near country-wide distributions. However, the impact of differing ecologies and environment on their venom compositions has not been comprehensively studied. Methods Here, we used a multi-disciplinary approach consisting of venom proteomics, biochemical and pharmacological analyses, and in vivo research to comparatively analyse N. naja venoms across a broad region (>6000 km; seven populations) covering India’s six distinct biogeographical zones. Findings By generating the most comprehensive pan-Indian proteomic and toxicity profiles to date, we unveil considerable differences in the composition, pharmacological effects and potencies of geographically-distinct venoms from this species and, through the use of immunological assays and preclinical experiments, demonstrate alarming repercussions on antivenom therapy. We find that commercially-available antivenom fails to effectively neutralise envenomations by the pan-Indian populations of N. naja, including a complete lack of neutralisation against the desert Naja population. Conclusion Our findings highlight the significant influence of ecology and environment on snake venom composition and potency, and stress the pressing need to innovate pan-India effective antivenoms to safeguard the lives, limbs and livelihoods of the country’s 200,000 annual snakebite victims. Annually, India is burdened by the highest number of snake envenomations across the globe, with over 58,000 fatalities and three times the number of morbidities, predominantly affecting the rural agrarian communities. The spectacled cobra (Naja naja) and Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) are responsible for the vast majority of envenomations in the country, in part, due to their near country-wide distributions. In this study, we unveil the astounding differences in venom composition of N. naja from six different biogeographical zones across the country (>6000 km). We provide a comprehensive account of their disparate venom proteomic profiles, biochemical and pharmacological effects, and the associated potencies. Our study uncovers alarming differences in the efficacy of the marketed polyvalent antivenoms in neutralising these venoms, thereby, emphasising the pressing need to develop dose-efficacious and pan-India effective antivenoms for the treatment of snakebites in the country. This study also highlights the significant influence of ecology and diverse environments on the venom variability, insinuating the necessity for innovating cost-effective and pan-India efficacious solutions to safeguard the lives, limbs and livelihoods of India’s two hundred thousand annual snakebite victims.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. R. Senji Laxme
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Saurabh Attarde
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Suyog Khochare
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Vivek Suranse
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Gerard Martin
- The Liana Trust, Survey #1418/1419 Rathnapuri, Hunsur, Karnataka, India
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Romulus Whitaker
- Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/Centre for Herpetology, Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kartik Sunagar
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- * E-mail:
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22
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Gutiérrez JM, Vargas M, Segura Á, Herrera M, Villalta M, Solano G, Sánchez A, Herrera C, León G. In Vitro Tests for Assessing the Neutralizing Ability of Snake Antivenoms: Toward the 3Rs Principles. Front Immunol 2021; 11:617429. [PMID: 33505403 PMCID: PMC7829219 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.617429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to strengthen the implementation of the 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) in the use of experimental animals in toxinological research and in the assessment of the neutralizing efficacy of snake antivenoms. This is a challenging task owing to the inherent complexity of snake venoms. The state of the art on this topic is hereby reviewed, with emphasis on the studies in which a correlation has been observed between in vivo toxicity tests and in vitro surrogate assays, particularly in the study of lethal activity of venoms and its neutralization. Correlations have been described with some venoms-antivenoms when using: (a) enzyme immunoassays, (b) hemagglutination, (c) enzyme assays (proteinase, phospholipase A2), (d) in vitro coagulant effect on plasma, (e) cell culture assays for cytotoxicity, (f) functional assays for assessing neurotoxicity in vitro, (g) use of hens’ eggs, and (h) antivenomics. Additionally, the routine introduction of analgesia in these assays and the design of more ‘humane’ protocols for the lethality test are being pursued. It is expected that the next years will witness a growing awareness of the relevance of the 3Rs principles in antivenom testing, and that new in vitro alternatives and more ‘humane’ experimental designs will emerge in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariángela Vargas
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Álvaro Segura
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, San José, Costa Rica
| | - María Herrera
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Mauren Villalta
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Gabriela Solano
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Andrés Sánchez
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Cristina Herrera
- Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Guillermo León
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, San José, Costa Rica
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23
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Simizo A, Kitano ES, Sant'Anna SS, Grego KF, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Tashima AK. Comparative gender peptidomics of Bothrops atrox venoms: are there differences between them? J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2020; 26:e20200055. [PMID: 33088286 PMCID: PMC7546584 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Bothrops atrox is known to be the pit viper responsible for
most snakebites and human fatalities in the Amazon region. It can be found
in a wide geographical area including northern South America, the east of
Andes and the Amazon basin. Possibly, due to its wide distribution and
generalist feeding, intraspecific venom variation was reported by previous
proteomics studies. Sex-based and ontogenetic variations on venom
compositions of Bothrops snakes were also subject of
proteomic and peptidomic analysis. However, the venom peptidome of
B. atrox remains unknown. Methods: We conducted a mass spectrometry-based analysis of the venom peptides of
individual male and female specimens combining bottom-up and top-down
approaches. Results: We identified in B. atrox a total of 105 native peptides in
the mass range of 0.4 to 13.9 kDa. Quantitative analysis showed that
phospholipase A2 and bradykinin potentiating peptides were the
most abundant peptide families in both genders, whereas disintegrin levels
were significantly increased in the venoms of females. Known peptides
processed at non-canonical sites and new peptides as the Ba1a, which
contains the SVMP BATXSVMPII1 catalytic site, were also revealed in this
work. Conclusion: The venom peptidomes of male and female specimens of B.
atrox were analyzed by mass spectrometry-based approaches in
this work. The study points to differences in disintegrin levels in the
venoms of females that may result in distinct pathophysiology of
envenomation. Further research is required to explore the potential
biological implications of this finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Simizo
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Eduardo S Kitano
- Laboratory of Immunology, Heart Institute, Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sávio S Sant'Anna
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Special Laboratory for Applied Toxinology, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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24
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González Rodríguez II, Francisco AF, Moreira-Dill LS, Quintero A, Guimarães CLS, Fernandes CAH, Takeda AAS, Zanchi FB, Caldeira CAS, Pereira PS, Fontes MRM, Zuliani JP, Soares AM. Isolation and structural characterization of bioactive compound from Aristolochia sprucei aqueous extract with anti-myotoxic activity. Toxicon X 2020; 7:100049. [PMID: 32613196 PMCID: PMC7322210 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2020.100049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A bioactive compound isolated from the stem extract of Aristolochia sprucei through High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was identified via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) as the aristolochic acid (AA). This compound showed an inhibitory effect over the myotoxic activity of Bothrops jararacussu and Bothrops asper venoms, being also effective against the indirect hemolytic activity of B. asper venom. Besides, AA also inhibited the myotoxic activity of BthTX-I and MTX-II with an efficiency greater than 60% against both myotoxins. Docking predictions revealed an interesting mechanism, through which the AA displays an interaction profile consistent with its inhibiting abilities, binding to both active and putative sites of svPLA2. Overall, the present findings indicate that AA may bind to critical regions of myotoxic Asp 49 and Lys49-PLA2s from snake venoms, highlighting the relevance of domains comprising the active and putative sites to inhibit these toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isela I González Rodríguez
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, FCFRP, Universidade de São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Aleff F Francisco
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.,Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos da Amazônia Ocidental, LaBioProt, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia e Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Leandro S Moreira-Dill
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos da Amazônia Ocidental, LaBioProt, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia e Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Aristides Quintero
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, FCFRP, Universidade de São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.,Centro de Informaciones e Investigaciones Toxicológicas y Químicas Aplicadas (CEIITOXQUIA) and Departamento de Química, FCNYE, Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí, UNACHI, David, Panama
| | - César L S Guimarães
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos da Amazônia Ocidental, LaBioProt, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia e Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil.,Instituto Brasileiro Do Meio Ambiente e Dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis, IBAMA, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Carlos A H Fernandes
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Agnes A S Takeda
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernando B Zanchi
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos da Amazônia Ocidental, LaBioProt, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia e Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Em Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT - EpiAmO, Brazil
| | - Cléopatra A S Caldeira
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos da Amazônia Ocidental, LaBioProt, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia e Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Paulo S Pereira
- Unidade de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Ribeirão Preto, UNAERP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.,Instituto Federal de Goiás, IFG, Goiania, GO, Brazil
| | - Marcos R M Fontes
- Departamento de Física e Biofísica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana P Zuliani
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos da Amazônia Ocidental, LaBioProt, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia e Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil.,Laboratório de Imunologia Celular Aplicada a Saúde, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Andreimar M Soares
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Proteínas e Compostos Bioativos da Amazônia Ocidental, LaBioProt, Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde, CEBio, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia e Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil.,Centro Universitário São Lucas, UniSL, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Em Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental, INCT - EpiAmO, Brazil
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25
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Baudou FG, Fusco L, Giorgi E, Diaz E, Municoy S, Desimone MF, Leiva L, De Marzi MC. Physicochemical and biological characterization of nanovenoms, a new tool formed by silica nanoparticles and Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2020; 193:111128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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26
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Bolívar-Barbosa JA, Rodríguez-Vargas AL. Actividad neurotóxica del veneno de serpientes del género Micrurus y métodos para su análisis. Revisión de la literatura. REVISTA DE LA FACULTAD DE MEDICINA 2020. [DOI: 10.15446/revfacmed.v68n3.75992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Introducción. Las serpientes del género Micrurus son animales de hábitos fosoriales, de temperamento pasivo y escasa producción de un potente veneno con características neurotóxicas que bloquean la transmisión sináptica en la placa neuromuscular.Objetivo. Presentar un panorama general de la neurotoxicidad del veneno de las serpientes Micrurus y su caracterización funcional mediante métodos de análisis ex vivo.Materiales y métodos. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura en MedLine y ScienceDirect usando términos específicos y sus combinaciones. Estrategia de búsqueda: tipo de estudios: artículos sobre la neurotoxicidad del veneno de serpientes Micrurus y técnicas para determinar su actividad neurotóxica mediante modelos in vitro, in vivo y ex vivo; periodo de publicación: sin limite inicial a junio de 2018; idiomas: inglés y español.Resultados. De los 88 estudios identificados en la búsqueda inicial, se excluyeron 28 por no cumplir los criterios de inclusión (basándose en la lectura de títulos y resúmenes); además, se incluyeron 8 documentos adicionales (libros e informes), que, a criterio de los autores, complementaban la información reportada por las referencias seleccionadas. Los estudios incluidos en la revisión (n=68) correspondieron a las siguientes tipologías: investigaciones originales (n=44), artículos de revisión (n=16) y capítulos de libros, informes, guías y consultas en internet (n=8).Conclusiones. Los estudios que describen el uso de preparaciones ex vivo de músculo y nervio para evaluar el efecto de neurotoxinas ofrecen un buen modelo para la caracterización del efecto presináptico y postsináptico del veneno producido por las serpientes Micrurus.
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27
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Machado Braga JR, de Morais-Zani K, Pereira DDS, Sant'Anna SS, da Costa Galizio N, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Gomes Vilarinho AR, Rodrigues JL, Teixeira da Rocha MM. Sexual and ontogenetic variation of Bothrops leucurus venom. Toxicon 2020; 184:127-135. [PMID: 32553734 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Various factors, such as geographical origin, climate, sex, age and diet can influence the composition and pathophysiological activities of snake venoms. In this study, we examined the sexual and ontogenetic variations in the venom of Bothrops leucurus, a pitviper responsible for more than 80% of the snakebites in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazilian. The venoms of 31 snakes were pooled according to sex and age (young, adult and old) and screened by SDS-PAGE (in reducing and non-reducing conditions), reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), gelatin zymography, and immunoblotting with therapeutic bothropic antivenom (BAV) from the Instituto Butantan. The electrophoretic and chromatographic profiles showed intraspecific ontogenetic variation, whereas sexual variations were less evident. All venoms showed gelatinolytic activity associated with 50-75 kDa protein bands. In addition, all venoms, regardless of the snakes' sex and age, cross-reacted to similar extents with BAV. Our findings show that B. leucurus venom changes during ontogenetic development and demonstrate sexual differences in its composition, indicating differences in biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Ramos Machado Braga
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas - Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo-Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas-Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diego Dos Santos Pereira
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas - Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil
| | | | - Nathália da Costa Galizio
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo-Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas-Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo-Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas-Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - José Lucca Rodrigues
- Toxinas de Interesse em Saúde, Casa Afrânio do Amaral, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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28
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Peng X, Dai Z, Wang X. Comparative proteomic analysis to probe into the differences in protein expression profiles and toxicity bases of Latrodectus tredecimguttatus spiderlings and adult spiders. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2020; 232:108762. [PMID: 32251727 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The early reports and our previous work confirmed the existence of the toxic proteinaceous components in the body of the L. tredecimguttatus newborn and adult spiders. For revealing the differences in the protein expression profiles and toxicity bases of the spiders at different developmental stages, the spiderling and adult spider proteins were comparatively analyzed using a proteomic strategy. Totals of 429 and 958 proteins were identified from the spiderlings and adult spiders, respectively, with 239 proteins being identified from both of them. Although some similarities between the spiderling and adult spider proteomes exist, there are obvious differences between the two proteomes in size, complexity, molecular weight (MW) distribution, acid-base property, and hydropathicity, etc. Gene ontology (GO) analysis demonstrates that, comparing based on the percentages of proteins, the spiderling and adult spider proteins have generally similar distribution profiles with respect to the subcellular localization, molecular function and biological process. However, there are still some differences between these two sets of proteins in some classifications of the three GO categories. For the adult spiders, latrotoxins together with other toxins and toxin-like proteins, etc. constitute their toxicity basis, whereas the toxicity of the spiderlings depends mainly on the synergistic action of atypical latrotoxins and toxin-like proteins, most of which are different from those of the adult spiders, demonstrating that the spiders at different developmental stages have largely different toxicity mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhen Peng
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China; College of Laboratory Medicine, Hunan University of Medicine, Huaihua 418000, Hunan, China
| | - Zhipan Dai
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Xianchun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Developmental Biology of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China.
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29
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Pucca MB, Ahmadi S, Cerni FA, Ledsgaard L, Sørensen CV, McGeoghan FTS, Stewart T, Schoof E, Lomonte B, Auf dem Keller U, Arantes EC, Çalışkan F, Laustsen AH. Unity Makes Strength: Exploring Intraspecies and Interspecies Toxin Synergism between Phospholipases A 2 and Cytotoxins. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:611. [PMID: 32457615 PMCID: PMC7221120 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxin synergism is a complex biochemical phenomenon, where different animal venom proteins interact either directly or indirectly to potentiate toxicity to a level that is above the sum of the toxicities of the individual toxins. This provides the animals possessing venoms with synergistically enhanced toxicity with a metabolic advantage, since less venom is needed to inflict potent toxic effects in prey and predators. Among the toxins that are known for interacting synergistically are cytotoxins from snake venoms, phospholipases A2 from snake and bee venoms, and melittin from bee venom. These toxins may derive a synergistically enhanced toxicity via formation of toxin complexes by hetero-oligomerization. Using a human keratinocyte assay mimicking human epidermis in vitro, we demonstrate and quantify the level of synergistically enhanced toxicity for 12 cytotoxin/melittin-PLA2 combinations using toxins from elapids, vipers, and bees. Moreover, by utilizing an interaction-based assay and by including a wealth of information obtained via a thorough literature review, we speculate and propose a mechanistic model for how toxin synergism in relation to cytotoxicity may be mediated by cytotoxin/melittin and PLA2 complex formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela B Pucca
- Medical School, Federal University of Roraima, Boa Vista, Brazil.,Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Shirin Ahmadi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Department of Biotechnology and Biosafety, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Felipe A Cerni
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Line Ledsgaard
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Christoffer V Sørensen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Farrell T S McGeoghan
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Trenton Stewart
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.,Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Erwin Schoof
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Bruno Lomonte
- Facultad de Microbiología, Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Ulrich Auf dem Keller
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Eliane C Arantes
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Figen Çalışkan
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosafety, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Art, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Andreas H Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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Tasima LJ, Serino-Silva C, Hatakeyama DM, Nishiduka ES, Tashima AK, Sant'Anna SS, Grego KF, de Morais-Zani K, Tanaka-Azevedo AM. Crotamine in Crotalus durissus: distribution according to subspecies and geographic origin, in captivity or nature. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2020; 26:e20190053. [PMID: 32362925 PMCID: PMC7187639 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2019-0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Crotalus durissus is considered one of the most important
species of venomous snakes in Brazil, due to the high mortality of its
snakebites. The venom of Crotalus durissus contains four
main toxins: crotoxin, convulxin, gyroxin and crotamine. Venoms can vary in
their crotamine content, being crotamine-negative or -positive. This
heterogeneity is of great importance for producing antivenom, due to their
different mechanisms of action. The possibility that antivenom produced by
Butantan Institute might have a different immunorecognition capacity between
crotamine-negative and crotamine-positive C. durissus
venoms instigated us to investigate the differences between these two venom
groups. Methods: The presence of crotamine was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, western blotting and
ELISA, whereas comparison between the two types of venoms was carried out
through HPLC, mass spectrometry analysis as well as assessment of antivenom
lethality and efficacy. Results: The results showed a variation in the presence of crotamine among the
subspecies and the geographic origin of snakes from nature, but not in
captive snakes. Regarding differences between crotamine-positive and
-negative venoms, some exclusive proteins are found in each pool and the
crotamine-negative pool presented more phospholipase A2 than
crotamine-positive pool. This variation could affect the time to death, but
the lethal and effective dose were not affected. Conclusion: These differences between venom pools indicate the importance of using both,
crotamine-positive and crotamine-negative venoms, to produce the
antivenom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lídia J Tasima
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (PPIB - IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo(USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Caroline Serino-Silva
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (PPIB - IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo(USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Daniela M Hatakeyama
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (PPIB - IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo(USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Erika S Nishiduka
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre K Tashima
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sávio S Sant'Anna
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Kathleen F Grego
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (PPIB - IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo(USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Anita M Tanaka-Azevedo
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Postgraduate Program in Biotechnology (PPIB - IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo(USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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31
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Wang CR, Bubner ER, Jovcevski B, Mittal P, Pukala TL. Interrogating the higher order structures of snake venom proteins using an integrated mass spectrometric approach. J Proteomics 2020; 216:103680. [PMID: 32028038 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Snake venoms contain complex mixtures of proteins vital for the survival of venomous snakes. Aligned with their diverse pharmacological activities, the protein compositions of snake venoms are highly variable, and efforts to characterise the primary structures of such proteins are ongoing. Additionally, a significant knowledge gap exists in terms of the higher-order protein structures which modulate venom potency, posing a challenge for successful therapeutic applications. Here we use a multifaceted mass spectrometry approach to characterise proteins from venoms of Collett's snake Pseudechis colletti and the puff adder Bitis arietans. Following chromatographic fractionation and bottom-up proteomics analysis, native mass spectrometry identified, among other components, a non-covalent l-amino acid oxidase dimer in the P. colletti venom and a C-type lectin tetramer in the B. arietans venom. Furthermore, a covalently-linked phospholipase A2 (PLA2) dimer was identified in P. colletti venom, from which the PLA2 species were shown to adopt compact geometries using ion mobility measurements. Interestingly, we show that the dimeric PLA2 possesses greater bioactivity than the monomeric PLA2s. This work contributes to ongoing efforts cataloguing components of snake venoms, and notably, emphasises the importance of understanding higher-order venom protein interactions and the utility of a combined mass spectrometric approach for this task. SIGNIFICANCE: The protein constituents of snake venoms represent a sophisticated cocktail of biologically active molecules ideally suited for further exploration in drug design and development. Despite ongoing efforts to characterise the diverse protein components of such venoms there is still much work required in this area, particularly in moving from simply describing the protein primary sequence to providing an understanding of quaternary structure. The combined proteomic and native mass spectrometry workflow utilised here gives new insights into higher order protein structures in selected snake venoms, and can underpin further investigation into the protein interactions which govern snake venom specificity and potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ruth Wang
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Emily R Bubner
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Blagojce Jovcevski
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Parul Mittal
- Adelaide Proteomics Centre, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Tara L Pukala
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia.
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32
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Abstract
Snake and spider venoms have been developed by nature as a defense mechanism against predators or to immobilize their prey by blocking the cardiovascular, respiratory, and/or nervous systems. Consequently, predators are deterred from approaching their prey by painful sensations. At a molecular level, the targeted physiological systems are blocked or stimulated by peptide toxins which, once injected into the body, modulate, though not exclusively, important cell membrane ion channels and receptors. Millions of years of constant evolution have led to the evolvement of complex venom libraries of optimized protein toxins, making them more potent, more selective, resistant to proteases, less immunogenic, and improved in terms of pharmacokinetic (PK) properties. The resulting advantage is that they induce long-term and potent pharmacodynamic (PD) effects toward unique molecular targets of therapeutic importance such as coagulation cascade proteins, receptors, and ionic channels. This optimization process has been enabled by the diversification of peptide sequences (mainly by gene duplication) and an upscaling of the complexity of toxin peptide scaffold structures, through implementation of multiple disulfide bridges and sequence-active motif diversification, leading to a wide diversity of chemical structures. This combination of pharmaceutical properties has made venom toxins valuable both as pharmacological tools and as leads for drug development. These highly tunable molecules can be tailored to achieve desirable biocompatibility and biodegradability with simultaneously selective and potent therapeutic effects. This brief overview provides basic definitions, rules, and methodologies and describes successful examples of a few drugs developed from snake toxins that are currently used in the clinic for therapy of several diseases as well as new molecular entities in clinical development based on spider-venom-derived peptide toxins.
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33
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Garcia Denegri ME, Bustillo S, Gay CC, Van De Velde A, Gomez G, Echeverría S, Gauna Pereira MDC, Maruñak S, Nuñez S, Bogado F, Sanchez M, Teibler GP, Fusco L, Leiva LCA. Venoms and Isolated Toxins from Snakes of Medical Impact in the Northeast Argentina: State of the Art. Potential Pharmacological Applications. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:1962-1980. [PMID: 31345151 DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666190725094851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Among the ophidians that inhabit the Northeast of Argentina, the genus Bothrops such as B. alternatus and B. diporus species (also known as yararás) and Crotalus durisus terrificus (named cascabel), represent the most studied snake venom for more than thirty years. These two genera of venomous snakes account for the majority of poisonous snake envenomations and therefore, constitute a medical emergency in this region. This review presents a broad description of the compiled knowledge about venomous snakebite: its pathophysiological action, protein composition, isolated toxins, toxin synergism, toxin-antitoxin cross-reaction assays. Properties of some isolated toxins support a potential pharmacological application.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Emilia Garcia Denegri
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas, Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (UNNECONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Soledad Bustillo
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas, Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (UNNECONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Claudia Carolina Gay
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas, Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (UNNECONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Andrea Van De Velde
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas, Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (UNNECONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Gomez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas, Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (UNNECONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Silvina Echeverría
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas, Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (UNNECONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - María Del Carmen Gauna Pereira
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas, Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (UNNECONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Silvana Maruñak
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Veterinaria dependiente de la Cátedra de Farmacología y Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Sandra Nuñez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Veterinaria dependiente de la Cátedra de Farmacología y Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Fabián Bogado
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Veterinaria dependiente de la Cátedra de Farmacología y Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Matías Sanchez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Veterinaria dependiente de la Cátedra de Farmacología y Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Gladys Pamela Teibler
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Veterinaria dependiente de la Cátedra de Farmacología y Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Nordeste, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Luciano Fusco
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas, Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (UNNECONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Corrientes, Argentina
| | - Laura Cristina Ana Leiva
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Proteínas, Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino (UNNECONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura, Corrientes, Argentina
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Lopes-de-Souza L, Costal-Oliveira F, Stransky S, Fonseca de Freitas C, Guerra-Duarte C, Braga VMM, Chávez-Olórtegui C. Development of a cell-based in vitro assay as a possible alternative for determining bothropic antivenom potency. Toxicon 2019; 170:68-76. [PMID: 31494208 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Accidents with venomous snakes are a major health hazard in tropical countries. Bothrops genus is responsible for almost 80% of snakebites in Brazil. Immunotherapy is the only approved specific treatment against snake toxins and the production of therapeutic antivenoms requires quality control tests to determine their neutralizing potency. Currently, these controls are performed by in vivo lethality neutralization, however, the inhibition of particular events produced by bothropic venoms such as coagulopathy, hemorrhage, edema or cytotoxic effects are also required. The aim of this work is to develop an in vitro alternative assay for antivenom pre-clinical evaluation. In this sense, we designed a cell viability assay using different amounts (0.2-10 μL/well) of low and high potency anti-bothropic sera, previously classified by the traditional in vivo test, for assessing the antivenom capacity to protect the cells against B. jararaca venom cytotoxicity (5xEC50 = 58.95 μg/mL). We found that high potency sera are more effective in neutralizing B. jararaca venom cytotoxicity when compared to low potency sera, which is in accordance to their pre-determined in vivo potency. Considering sera in vitro inhibitory concentration able to prevent 50% cell death (IC50) and their known in vivo potency, a cut-off point was determined to discriminate low and high potency sera. Our data provide insights for the development of an in vitro method which can determine the anti-bothropic antivenom potency during its production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letícia Lopes-de-Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Costal-Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Stephanie Stransky
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Clara Guerra-Duarte
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, 30510-010, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Vania M M Braga
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, SW7 2AZ, London, UK
| | - Carlos Chávez-Olórtegui
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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35
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Hypotensive Snake Venom Components-A Mini-Review. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24152778. [PMID: 31370142 PMCID: PMC6695636 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24152778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypertension is considered a major public health issue due to its high prevalence and subsequent risk of cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Thus, the search for new antihypertensive compounds remains of great interest. Snake venoms provide an abundant source of lead molecules that affect the cardiovascular system, which makes them prominent from a pharmaceutical perspective. Such snake venom components include bradykinin potentiating peptides (proline-rich oligopeptides), natriuretic peptides, phospholipases A2, serine-proteases and vascular endothelial growth factors. Some heparin binding hypotensive factors, three-finger toxins and 5' nucleotidases can also exert blood pressure lowering activity. Great advances have been made during the last decade regarding the understanding of the mechanism of action of these hypotensive proteins. Bradykinin potentiating peptides exert their action primarily by inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme and increasing the effect of endogenous bradykinin. Snake venom phospholipases A2 are capable of reducing blood pressure through the production of arachidonic acid, a precursor of cyclooxygenase metabolites (prostaglandins or prostacyclin). Other snake venom proteins mimic the effects of endogenous kallikrein, natriuretic peptides or vascular endothelial growth factors. The aim of this work was to review the current state of knowledge regarding snake venom components with potential antihypertensive activity and their mechanisms of action.
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36
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Pucca MB, Cerni FA, Janke R, Bermúdez-Méndez E, Ledsgaard L, Barbosa JE, Laustsen AH. History of Envenoming Therapy and Current Perspectives. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1598. [PMID: 31354735 PMCID: PMC6635583 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Each year, millions of humans fall victim to animal envenomings, which may either be deadly or cause permanent disability to the effected individuals. The Nobel Prize-winning discovery of serum therapy for the treatment of bacterial infections (tetanus and diphtheria) paved the way for the introduction of antivenom therapies for envenomings caused by venomous animals. These antivenoms are based on polyclonal antibodies derived from the plasma of hyperimmunized animals and remain the only specific treatment against animal envenomings. Following the initial development of serum therapy for snakebite envenoming by French scientists in 1894, other countries with high incidences of animal envenomings, including Brazil, Australia, South Africa, Costa Rica, and Mexico, started taking up antivenom production against local venomous animals over the course of the twentieth century. These undertakings revolutionized envenoming therapy and have saved innumerous patients worldwide during the last 100 years. This review describes in detail the above-mentioned historical events surrounding the discovery and the application of serum therapy for envenomings, as well as it provides an overview of important developments and scientific breakthroughs that were of importance for antibody-based therapies in general. This begins with discoveries concerning the characterization of antibodies, including the events leading up to the elucidation of the antibody structure. These discoveries further paved the way for other milestones in antibody-based therapies, such as the introduction of hybridoma technology in 1975. Hybridoma technology enabled the expression and isolation of monoclonal antibodies, which in turn formed the basis for the development of phage display technology and transgenic mice, which can be harnessed to directly obtain fully human monoclonal antibodies. These developments were driven by the ultimate goal of producing potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies with optimal pharmacokinetic properties and low immunogenicity. This review then provides an outline of the most recent achievements in antivenom research, which include the application of new biotechnologies, the development of the first human monoclonal antibodies that can neutralize animal toxins, and efforts toward creating fully recombinant antivenoms. Lastly, future perspectives in the field of envenoming therapies are discussed, including rational engineering of antibody cross-reactivity and the use of oligoclonal antibody mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela B. Pucca
- Medical School, Federal University of Roraima, Boa Vista, Brazil
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Felipe A. Cerni
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rahel Janke
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Line Ledsgaard
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - José E. Barbosa
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Andreas H. Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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Williams HF, Layfield HJ, Vallance T, Patel K, Bicknell AB, Trim SA, Vaiyapuri S. The Urgent Need to Develop Novel Strategies for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Snakebites. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E363. [PMID: 31226842 PMCID: PMC6628419 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11060363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming (SBE) is a priority neglected tropical disease, which kills in excess of 100,000 people per year. Additionally, many millions of survivors also suffer through disabilities and long-term health consequences. The only treatment for SBE, antivenom, has a number of major associated problems, not least, adverse reactions and limited availability. This emphasises the necessity for urgent improvements to the management of this disease. Administration of antivenom is too frequently based on symptomatology, which results in wasting crucial time. The majority of SBE-affected regions rely on broad-spectrum polyvalent antivenoms that have a low content of case-specific efficacious immunoglobulins. Research into small molecular therapeutics such as varespladib/methyl-varespladib (PLA2 inhibitors) and batimastat/marimastat (metalloprotease inhibitors) suggest that such adjunctive treatments could be hugely beneficial to victims. Progress into toxin-specific monoclonal antibodies as well as alternative binding scaffolds such as aptamers hold much promise for future treatment strategies. SBE is not implicit during snakebite, due to venom metering. Thus, the delay between bite and symptom presentation is critical and when symptoms appear it may often already be too late to effectively treat SBE. The development of reliable diagnostical tools could therefore initiate a paradigm shift in the treatment of SBE. While the complete eradication of SBE is an impossibility, mitigation is in the pipeline, with new treatments and diagnostics rapidly emerging. Here we critically review the urgent necessity for the development of diagnostic tools and improved therapeutics to mitigate the deaths and disabilities caused by SBE.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Vallance
- School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UK.
| | - Ketan Patel
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UK.
| | - Andrew B Bicknell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UK.
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38
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Snake Venom Hemotoxic Enzymes: Biochemical Comparison between Crotalus Species from Central Mexico. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24081489. [PMID: 31014025 PMCID: PMC6514926 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24081489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming is a serious medical problem in different areas of the world. In Latin America, the major prevalence is due to snakes of the family Viperidae, where rattlesnakes (Crotalus) are included. They produce hemotoxic venom which causes bleeding, tissue degradation and necrosis. Each venom has several enzymatic activities, producing different effects in the envenoming, doing its clinical effects difficult to study. Comparison between venom molecules is also difficult when different techniques are used, and therefore, their identification/characterization using the same methodology is necessary. In this work, a general biochemical characterization in snake venom of serine proteases (SVSP), phospholipases A2 (PLA2), metalloproteases (SVMP) and hyaluronidases (SVH) of Crotalus aquilus (Ca), Crotalus polystictus (Cp) and Crotalus molossus nigrescens (Cmn) was done. Differences in protein pattern, enzyme content and enzymatic activities were observed. All the venoms showed high PLA2 activity, high molecular weight SVSP, and a wide variety of SVMP and SVH forms. Ca and Cp showed the highest enzymatic activities of SVMP and SVSP trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like, whereas Cmn showed the highest SVH and similar PLA2 activity with Ca. All the venoms showed peptides with similar molecular weight to crotamine-like myotoxins. No previous biochemical characterization of C. aquilus has been reported and there are no previous analyses that include these four protein families in these Crotalus venoms.
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39
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Al-Sadawi M, Mohamadpour M, Zhyvotovska A, Ahmad T, Schechter J, Soliman Y, McFarlane SI. Cerebrovascular Accident and Snake Envenomation: A Scoping Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL RESEARCH & TRIALS 2019; 4:133. [PMID: 31528777 PMCID: PMC6746409 DOI: 10.15344/2456-8007/2019/133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Snake envenomation is associated with serious complications including infections, bleeding and, in rare occasions, thrombosis. Previous work by our group examined the association of snakebite and acute myocardial infarction. In this systematic review we aim to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes of acute cerebrovascular accidents that are reported to be extremely rare complications of snake envenomation. METHODS We performed a literature search for reports on stroke associated with snake envenomation between Jan 1995 to Oct 2018, and summarized their characteristics. RESULTS Eighty-three published cases were reviewed. 66.3% of the cases were younger than 50 years of age. The mean time for the onset of the symptoms is 23.8±10.9 hours after exposure. 77.1% of the cases found to have ischemic stroke, 20.5% with intra-cranial hemorrhage and both infarction and hemorrhage in 2.4%. Mortality was reported in 16.9% with mean time between onset of the symptoms and death is 4.2 days. CONCLUSION Stroke secondary to snake envenomation is a rare but serious complication. Once stroke is suspected, initiating appropriate management is crucial in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with this potentially fatal complication of snake envenomation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Al-Sadawi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular
Disease, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203,
USA
| | - Maliheh Mohamadpour
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular
Disease, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203,
USA
| | - Angelina Zhyvotovska
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular
Disease, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203,
USA
| | - Tahir Ahmad
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular
Disease, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203,
USA,Department of Emergency Medicine State University of New
York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Joshua Schechter
- Department of Emergency Medicine State University of New
York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Yasmin Soliman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular
Disease, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203,
USA
| | - Samy I. McFarlane
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular
Disease, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203,
USA,Corresponding Author: Prof. Samy I.
McFarlane, Divisions of Cardiovascular Disease,and Endocrinology, Department of
Internal Medicine, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center,
Brooklyn, New York,11203, USA, Tel: 718-270-6707, Fax: 718-270-4488;
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40
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Estevão-Costa MI, Sanz-Soler R, Johanningmeier B, Eble JA. Snake venom components in medicine: From the symbolic rod of Asclepius to tangible medical research and application. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2018; 104:94-113. [PMID: 30261311 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Both mythologically and logically, snakes have always fascinated man. Snakes have attracted both awe and fear not only because of the elegant movement of their limbless bodies, but also because of the potency of their deadly venoms. Practically, in 2017, the world health organization (WHO) listed snake envenomation as a high priority neglected disease, as snakes inflict up to 2.7 million poisonous bites, around 100.000 casualties, and about three times as many invalidities on man. The venoms of poisonous snakes are a cocktail of potent compounds which specifically and avidly target numerous essential molecules with high efficacy. The individual effects of all venom toxins integrate into lethal dysfunctions of almost any organ system. It is this efficacy and specificity of each venom component, which after analysis of its structure and activity may serve as a potential lead structure for chemical imitation. Such toxin mimetics may help in influencing a specific body function pharmaceutically for the sake of man's health. In this review article, we will give some examples of snake venom components which have spurred the development of novel pharmaceutical compounds. Moreover, we will provide examples where such snake toxin-derived mimetics are in clinical use, trials, or consideration for further pharmaceutical exploitation, especially in the fields of hemostasis, thrombosis, coagulation, and metastasis. Thus, it becomes clear why a snake captured its symbolic place at the Asclepius rod with good reason still nowadays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Inacia Estevão-Costa
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstr. 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Raquel Sanz-Soler
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstr. 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Benjamin Johanningmeier
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstr. 15, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Johannes A Eble
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Münster, Waldeyerstr. 15, 48149, Münster, Germany.
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Unresolved issues in the understanding of the pathogenesis of local tissue damage induced by snake venoms. Toxicon 2018; 148:123-131. [PMID: 29698755 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming by viperid species, and by some elapids, is characterized by a complex pattern of tissue damage at the anatomical site of venom injection. In severe cases, tissue destruction may be so extensive as to lead to permanent sequelae, with serious pathophysiological, social and psychological consequences. Significant advances have been performed in the study of venom-induced tissue damage, including identification and characterization of the toxins involved, insights into the mechanisms of action of venoms and toxins, and study of tissue responses to venom-induced injury. Nevertheless, much remains to be known and understood on the pathogenesis of these alterations. This review focuses on some of the pending issues in the topic of snake venom-induced local tissue damage. The traditional 'reductionist' approach, which has predominated in the study of snake venoms and their actions, needs to be complemented by more integrative and holistic perspectives aimed at capturing the complexity of these pathological alterations. Future advances in the study of these topics will certainly pave the way for innovative therapeutic interventions, with the goal of reducing the impact of this aspect of snakebite envenoming.
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