1
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Oliveira LD, Grazziotin FG, Sánchez-Martínez PM, Sasa M, Flores-Villela O, Prudente ALDC, Zaher H. Phylogenetic and morphological evidence reveals the association between diet and the evolution of the venom delivery system in Neotropical goo-eating snakes. SYST BIODIVERS 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2022.2153944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo De Oliveira
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré, São Paulo, 04263-000, Brazil
- Laboratório de Toxinologia Aplicada, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brasil, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Felipe Gobbi Grazziotin
- Laboratório Especial de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brasil, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | | | - Mahmood Sasa
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Museo de Zoología, Centro de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Oscar Flores-Villela
- Museo de Zoologia ‘Alfonso L. Herrera’, Faculdad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | | | - Hussam Zaher
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré, São Paulo, 04263-000, Brazil
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2
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A current perspective on snake venom composition and constituent protein families. Arch Toxicol 2023; 97:133-153. [PMID: 36437303 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-022-03420-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Snake venoms are heterogeneous mixtures of proteins and peptides used for prey subjugation. With modern proteomics there has been a rapid expansion in our knowledge of snake venom composition, resulting in the venom proteomes of 30% of vipers and 17% of elapids being characterised. From the reasonably complete proteomic coverage of front-fanged snake venom composition (179 species-68 species of elapids and 111 species of vipers), the venoms of vipers and elapids contained 42 different protein families, although 18 were only reported in < 5% of snake species. Based on the mean abundance and occurrence of the 42 protein families, they can be classified into 4 dominant, 6 secondary, 14 minor, and 18 rare protein families. The dominant, secondary and minor categories account for 96% on average of a snake's venom composition. The four dominant protein families are: phospholipase A2 (PLA2), snake venom metalloprotease (SVMP), three-finger toxins (3FTx), and snake venom serine protease (SVSP). The six secondary protein families are: L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO), cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRiSP), C-type lectins (CTL), disintegrins (DIS), kunitz peptides (KUN), and natriuretic peptides (NP). Venom variation occurs at all taxonomic levels, including within populations. The reasons for venom variation are complex, as variation is not always associated with geographical variation in diet. The four dominant protein families appear to be the most important toxin families in human envenomation, being responsible for coagulopathy, neurotoxicity, myotoxicity and cytotoxicity. Proteomic techniques can be used to investigate the toxicological profile of a snake venom and hence identify key protein families for antivenom immunorecognition.
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3
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Schramer TD, Rautsaw RM, Bayona-Serrano JD, Nystrom GS, West TR, Ortiz-Medina JA, Sabido-Alpuche B, Meneses-Millán M, Borja M, Junqueira-de-Azevedo ILM, Rokyta DR, Parkinson CL. An integrative view of the toxic potential of Conophis lineatus (Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae), a medically relevant rear-fanged snake. Toxicon 2021; 205:38-52. [PMID: 34793822 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.11.009] [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: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Most traditional research on snake venoms has focused on front-fanged snake families (Viperidae, Elapidae, and Atractaspididae). However, venom is now generally accepted as being a much more broadly possessed trait within snakes, including species traditionally considered harmless. Unfortunately, due to historical inertia and methodological challenges, the toxin repertoires of non-front-fanged snake families (e.g., Colubridae, Dipsadidae, and Natricidae) have been heavily neglected despite the knowledge of numerous species capable of inflicting medically relevant envenomations. Integrating proteomic data for validation, we perform a de novo assembly and analysis of the Duvernoy's venom gland transcriptome of the Central American Road Guarder (Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae: Conophis lineatus), a species known for its potent bite. We identified 28 putative toxin transcripts from 13 toxin families in the Duvernoy's venom gland transcriptome, comprising 63.7% of total transcriptome expression. In addition to ubiquitous snake toxin families, we proteomically confirmed several atypical venom components. The most highly expressed toxins (55.6% of total toxin expression) were recently described snake venom matrix metalloproteases (svMMPs), with 48.0% of svMMP expression contributable to a novel svMMP isoform. We investigate the evolution of the new svMMP isoform in the context of rear-fanged snakes using phylogenetics. Finally, we examine the morphology of the venom apparatus using μCT and explore how the venom relates to autecology and the highly hemorrhagic effects seen in human envenomations. Importantly, we provide the most complete venom characterization of this medically relevant snake species to date, producing insights into the effects and evolution of its venom, and point to future research directions to better understand the venoms of 'harmless' non-front-fanged snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan D Schramer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
| | - Rhett M Rautsaw
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | | | - Gunnar S Nystrom
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Taylor R West
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Javier A Ortiz-Medina
- Departamento de Sistemática y Ecología Acuática, El Colegio de La Frontera Sur, Unidad Chetumal, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico; Unidad de Manejo para La Conservación de La Vida Silvestre, Tsáab Kaan, Baca, Yucatán, Mexico; HERP.MX A.C., Villa de Álvarez, Colima, Mexico
| | - Bianca Sabido-Alpuche
- Unidad de Manejo para La Conservación de La Vida Silvestre, Tsáab Kaan, Baca, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Marcos Meneses-Millán
- Unidad de Manejo para La Conservación de La Vida Silvestre, Tsáab Kaan, Baca, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Miguel Borja
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez Del Estado de Durango, Gómez Palacio, Durango, Mexico
| | - Inácio L M Junqueira-de-Azevedo
- Laboratório de Toxinologia Aplicada, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil; Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Darin R Rokyta
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Christopher L Parkinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA; Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
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4
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Palci A, LeBlanc ARH, Panagiotopoulou O, Cleuren SGC, Mehari Abraha H, Hutchinson MN, Evans AR, Caldwell MW, Lee MSY. Plicidentine and the repeated origins of snake venom fangs. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211391. [PMID: 34375553 PMCID: PMC8354744 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake fangs are an iconic exemplar of a complex adaptation, but despite striking developmental and morphological similarities, they probably evolved independently in several lineages of venomous snakes. How snakes could, uniquely among vertebrates, repeatedly evolve their complex venom delivery apparatus is an intriguing question. Here we shed light on the repeated evolution of snake venom fangs using histology, high-resolution computed tomography (microCT) and biomechanical modelling. Our examination of venomous and non-venomous species reveals that most snakes have dentine infoldings at the bases of their teeth, known as plicidentine, and that in venomous species, one of these infoldings was repurposed to form a longitudinal groove for venom delivery. Like plicidentine, venom grooves originate from infoldings of the developing dental epithelium prior to the formation of the tooth hard tissues. Derivation of the venom groove from a large plicidentine fold that develops early in tooth ontogeny reveals how snake venom fangs could originate repeatedly through the co-option of a pre-existing dental feature even without close association to a venom duct. We also show that, contrary to previous assumptions, dentine infoldings do not improve compression or bending resistance of snake teeth during biting; plicidentine may instead have a role in tooth attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Palci
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Aaron R. H. LeBlanc
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada, T6G 2E9
- Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Olga Panagiotopoulou
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | | | - Hyab Mehari Abraha
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Mark N. Hutchinson
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Alistair R. Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia
- Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
| | - Michael W. Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada, T6G 2E9
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada, T6G 2E9
| | - Michael S. Y. Lee
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
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5
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Cleuren SGC, Hocking DP, Evans AR. Fang evolution in venomous snakes: Adaptation of 3D tooth shape to the biomechanical properties of their prey. Evolution 2021; 75:1377-1394. [PMID: 33904594 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Venomous snakes are among the world's most specialized predators. During feeding, they use fangs to penetrate the body tissues of their prey, but the success of this penetration depends on the shape of these highly specialized teeth. Here, we examined the evolution of fang shape in a wide range of snakes using 3D geometric morphometrics (3DGM) and cross-sectional tooth sharpness measurements. We investigated the relationship of these variables with six diet categories based on the prey's biomechanical properties, and tested for evolutionary convergence using two methods. Our results show that slender elongate fangs with sharp tips are used by snakes that target soft-skinned prey (e.g., mammals), whereas fangs become more robust and blunter as the target's skin becomes scaly (e.g., fish and reptiles) and eventually hard-shelled (e.g., crustaceans), both with and without correction for evolutionary allometry. Convergence in fang shape is present, indicating that fangs of snakes with the same diet are more similar than those of closely related species with different diets. Establishing the relationship between fang morphology and diet helps to explain how snakes became adapted to different lifestyles, while also providing a proxy to infer diet in lesser known species or extinct snakes from the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke G C Cleuren
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - David P Hocking
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Alistair R Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Geosciences, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia
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6
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Westeen EP, Durso AM, Grundler MC, Rabosky DL, Davis Rabosky AR. What makes a fang? Phylogenetic and ecological controls on tooth evolution in rear-fanged snakes. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:80. [PMID: 32646372 PMCID: PMC7346461 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01645-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fangs are a putative key innovation that revolutionized prey capture and feeding in snakes, and - along with their associated venom phenotypes - have made snakes perhaps the most medically-significant vertebrate animals. Three snake clades are known for their forward-positioned fangs, and these clades (Elapidae, Viperidae, and Atractaspidinae) contain the majority of snakes that are traditionally considered venomous. However, many other snakes are "rear-fanged": they possess potentially venom-delivering teeth situated at the rear end of the upper jaw. Quantification of fang phenotypes - and especially those of rear-fanged species - has proved challenging or impossible owing to the small size and relative rarity of many such snakes. Consequently, it has been difficult to understand the evolutionary history of both venom and prey-capture strategies across extant snakes. We quantified variation in the dentition of 145 colubriform ("advanced") snake species using microCT scanning and compared dental characters with ecological data on species' diet and prey capture method(s) to understand broader patterns in snake fang evolution. RESULTS Dental traits such as maxilla length, tooth number, and fang size show strong phylogenetic signal across Colubriformes. We find extreme heterogeneity and evolutionary lability in the rear-fanged phenotype in colubrid (colubrine, dipsadine, and natricine lineages) and lamprophiid snakes, in contrast to relative uniformity in the front fanged phenotypes of other groups (vipers and, to a lesser extent, elapids). Fang size and position are correlated with venom-use in vipers, elapids, and colubrid snakes, with the latter group shifting fangs anteriorly by shortening the entire maxillary bone. We find that maxilla length and tooth number may also be correlated with the evolution of dietary specialization. Finally, an ancestral state reconstruction suggests that fang loss is a recurring phenomenon in colubrid snakes, likely accompanied by shifts in diet and prey capture mode. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides a framework for quantifying the complex morphologies associated with venom use in snakes. Our results suggest that fang phenotypes, and particularly the rear-fanged phenotype, in snakes are both diverse and labile, facilitating a wide range of ecological strategies and contributing to spectacular radiations of these organisms in tropical and subtropical biomes worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin P Westeen
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management & Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Andrew M Durso
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers, FL, USA
| | - Michael C Grundler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel L Rabosky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alison R Davis Rabosky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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7
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Modica MV, Gorson J, Fedosov AE, Malcolm G, Terryn Y, Puillandre N, Holford M. Macroevolutionary Analyses Suggest That Environmental Factors, Not Venom Apparatus, Play Key Role in Terebridae Marine Snail Diversification. Syst Biol 2020; 69:413-430. [PMID: 31504987 PMCID: PMC7164365 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syz059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
How species diversification occurs remains an unanswered question in predatory marine invertebrates, such as sea snails of the family Terebridae. However, the anatomical disparity found throughput the Terebridae provides a unique perspective for investigating diversification patterns in venomous predators. In this study, a new dated molecular phylogeny of the Terebridae is used as a framework for investigating diversification of the family through time, and for testing the putative role of intrinsic and extrinsic traits, such as shell size, larval ecology, bathymetric distribution, and anatomical features of the venom apparatus, as drivers of terebrid species diversification. Macroevolutionary analysis revealed that when diversification rates do not vary across Terebridae clades, the whole family has been increasing its global diversification rate since 25 Ma. We recovered evidence for a concurrent increase in diversification of depth ranges, while shell size appeared to have undergone a fast divergence early in terebrid evolutionary history. Our data also confirm that planktotrophy is the ancestral larval ecology in terebrids, and evolutionary modeling highlighted that shell size is linked to larval ecology of the Terebridae, with species with long-living pelagic larvae tending to be larger and have a broader size range than lecithotrophic species. Although we recovered patterns of size and depth trait diversification through time and across clades, the presence or absence of a venom gland (VG) did not appear to have impacted Terebridae diversification. Terebrids have lost their venom apparatus several times and we confirm that the loss of a VG happened in phylogenetically clustered terminal taxa and that reversal is extremely unlikely. Our findings suggest that environmental factors, and not venom, have had more influence on terebrid evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vittoria Modica
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
- UMR5247, Université de Montpellier CC 1703, Place Eugène Bataillon 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Juliette Gorson
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, 413 E. 69th Street, BRB 424, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Alexander E Fedosov
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy Prospect, 33, Moscow 119071, Russia
| | - Gavin Malcolm
- Bird Hill, Barnes Lane, Milford on Sea, Hampshire, UK
| | - Yves Terryn
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antillles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 26, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Puillandre
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antillles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 26, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Mandë Holford
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College Belfer Research Center, 413 E. 69th Street, BRB 424, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
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8
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Venomics of the Central American Lyre Snake Trimorphodon quadruplex (Colubridae: Smith, 1941) from Costa Rica. J Proteomics 2020; 220:103778. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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9
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Jackson TNW, Jouanne H, Vidal N. Snake Venom in Context: Neglected Clades and Concepts. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
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10
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Al Mohammadi AGA, Khannoon ER, Evans SE. The development of the osteocranium in the snake Psammophis sibilans (Serpentes: Lamprophiidae). J Anat 2019; 236:117-131. [PMID: 31475358 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-avian reptiles are good models to investigate structural and developmental differences between amniotes. Investigations of craniofacial development in a complete series of embryos from oviposition up to hatching are still relatively rare. Consideration of a complete series can reveal developmental events that were previously missed, and thus correct or confirm theories about developmental events. The Egyptian Sand snake, Psammophis sibilans, has been a key species in descriptions of the snake skull development. However, published work was based on a limited sample of specimens collected from the wild. Here, we supplement previous descriptions with an illustrated account of skull development in P. sibilans based on a staged series of embryos and histological sections. Our findings largely agree with those of previous authors, although we record differences in developmental timing, confirming the presence of an egg tooth in this species. We add further observations on the enigmatic fenestra X, showing that it closes rather than merging with the prootic notch. Our observations revealed the likely contribution of the tectum posterius to the occipital roof, the presence of an internal carotid foramen (possibly transitory or variable), and the formation of the initial laterosphenoid pillar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameera G A Al Mohammadi
- Biology Department, College of Science, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eraqi R Khannoon
- Biology Department, College of Science, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia.,Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Susan E Evans
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
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11
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Modahl CM, Mackessy SP. Venoms of Rear-Fanged Snakes: New Proteins and Novel Activities. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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12
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Deepak V, Ruane S, Gower DJ. A new subfamily of fossorial colubroid snakes from the Western Ghats of peninsular India. J NAT HIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1557756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Deepak
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Sara Ruane
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-Newark, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - David J. Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
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13
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Pharmacokinetics of Snake Venom. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10020073. [PMID: 29414889 PMCID: PMC5848174 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10020073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding snake venom pharmacokinetics is essential for developing risk assessment strategies and determining the optimal dose and timing of antivenom required to bind all venom in snakebite patients. This review aims to explore the current knowledge of snake venom pharmacokinetics in animals and humans. Literature searches were conducted using EMBASE (1974–present) and Medline (1946–present). For animals, 12 out of 520 initially identified studies met the inclusion criteria. In general, the disposition of snake venom was described by a two-compartment model consisting of a rapid distribution phase and a slow elimination phase, with half-lives of 5 to 48 min and 0.8 to 28 h, respectively, following rapid intravenous injection of the venoms or toxins. When the venoms or toxins were administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously, an initial absorption phase and slow elimination phase were observed. The bioavailability of venoms or toxins ranged from 4 to 81.5% following intramuscular administration and 60% following subcutaneous administration. The volume of distribution and the clearance varied between snake species. For humans, 24 out of 666 initially identified publications contained sufficient information and timed venom concentrations in the absence of antivenom therapy for data extraction. The data were extracted and modelled in NONMEM. A one-compartment model provided the best fit, with an elimination half-life of 9.71 ± 1.29 h. It is intended that the quantitative information provided in this review will provide a useful basis for future studies that address the pharmacokinetics of snakebite in humans.
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14
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Vida MD, Behrmann M. Subcortical Facilitation of Behavioral Responses to Threat. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13087. [PMID: 29026099 PMCID: PMC5638842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13203-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral responses to threat are critical to survival. Several cortical and subcortical brain regions respond selectively to threat. However, the relation of these neural responses and their underlying representations to behavior is unclear. We examined the contribution of lower-order subcortical representations to behavioral responses to threat in adult humans. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants viewed pairs of images presented to the same eye or to different eyes. We observed a monocular advantage, which indicates subcortical facilitation, for ancestral threats (snakes, spiders), but not for modern threats, positive images, or neutral images. In Experiment 3, we presented pairs of snakes or neutral images into the temporal or nasal hemifield. For snakes only, we observed a temporal hemifield advantage, which indicates facilitation by the retino-tectal subcortical pathway. These results advance the current understanding of processing of threat by adult humans by revealing the characteristics of behaviors driven by a lower-order neural mechanism that is specialized for the processing of ancestral threats. The results also contribute to ongoing debates concerning the biological generality of neural mechanisms for processing of complex, emotionally-relevant stimuli by providing evidence for conservation of lower-order neural mechanisms for processing of ancestral threats across both ontogeny and phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Vida
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Marlene Behrmann
- Department of Psychology and Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA.
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15
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Endless forms most beautiful: the evolution of ophidian oral glands, including the venom system, and the use of appropriate terminology for homologous structures. ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-016-0332-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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16
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Yang DC, Deuis JR, Dashevsky D, Dobson J, Jackson TNW, Brust A, Xie B, Koludarov I, Debono J, Hendrikx I, Hodgson WC, Josh P, Nouwens A, Baillie GJ, Bruxner TJC, Alewood PF, Lim KKP, Frank N, Vetter I, Fry BG. The Snake with the Scorpion's Sting: Novel Three-Finger Toxin Sodium Channel Activators from the Venom of the Long-Glanded Blue Coral Snake (Calliophis bivirgatus). Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:E303. [PMID: 27763551 PMCID: PMC5086663 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8100303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Millions of years of evolution have fine-tuned the ability of venom peptides to rapidly incapacitate both prey and potential predators. Toxicofera reptiles are characterized by serous-secreting mandibular or maxillary glands with heightened levels of protein expression. These glands are the core anatomical components of the toxicoferan venom system, which exists in myriad points along an evolutionary continuum. Neofunctionalisation of toxins is facilitated by positive selection at functional hotspots on the ancestral protein and venom proteins have undergone dynamic diversification in helodermatid and varanid lizards as well as advanced snakes. A spectacular point on the venom system continuum is the long-glanded blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgatus), a specialist feeder that preys on fast moving, venomous snakes which have both a high likelihood of prey escape but also represent significant danger to the predator itself. The maxillary venom glands of C. bivirgatus extend one quarter of the snake's body length and nestle within the rib cavity. Despite the snake's notoriety its venom has remained largely unstudied. Here we show that the venom uniquely produces spastic paralysis, in contrast to the flaccid paralysis typically produced by neurotoxic snake venoms. The toxin responsible, which we have called calliotoxin (δ-elapitoxin-Cb1a), is a three-finger toxin (3FTx). Calliotoxin shifts the voltage-dependence of NaV1.4 activation to more hyperpolarised potentials, inhibits inactivation, and produces large ramp currents, consistent with its profound effects on contractile force in an isolated skeletal muscle preparation. Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV) are a particularly attractive pharmacological target as they are involved in almost all physiological processes including action potential generation and conduction. Accordingly, venom peptides that interfere with NaV function provide a key defensive and predatory advantage to a range of invertebrate venomous species including cone snails, scorpions, spiders, and anemones. Enhanced activation or delayed inactivation of sodium channels by toxins is associated with the extremely rapid onset of tetanic/excitatory paralysis in envenomed prey animals. A strong selection pressure exists for the evolution of such toxins where there is a high chance of prey escape. However, despite their prevalence in other venomous species, toxins causing delay of sodium channel inhibition have never previously been described in vertebrate venoms. Here we show that NaV modulators, convergent with those of invertebrates, have evolved in the venom of the long-glanded coral snake. Calliotoxin represents a functionally novel class of 3FTx and a structurally novel class of NaV toxins that will provide significant insights into the pharmacology and physiology of NaV. The toxin represents a remarkable case of functional convergence between invertebrate and vertebrate venom systems in response to similar selection pressures. These results underscore the dynamic evolution of the Toxicofera reptile system and reinforces the value of using evolution as a roadmap for biodiscovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daryl C Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3168, Australia.
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Jennifer R Deuis
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Daniel Dashevsky
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - James Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy N W Jackson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Andreas Brust
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Bing Xie
- Bejing Genomics Institute-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Ivan Koludarov
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Jordan Debono
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Iwan Hendrikx
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Wayne C Hodgson
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3168, Australia.
| | - Peter Josh
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Amanda Nouwens
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Gregory J Baillie
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy J C Bruxner
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Paul F Alewood
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
| | - Kelvin Kok Peng Lim
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 2 Conservatory Drive, Singapore 117377, Singapore.
| | | | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
- School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba 4102, Australia.
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia 4072, Australia.
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Mackessy SP, Saviola AJ. Understanding Biological Roles of Venoms Among the Caenophidia: The Importance of Rear-Fanged Snakes. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:1004-1021. [PMID: 27639275 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Snake venoms represent an adaptive trophic response to the challenges confronting a limbless predator for overcoming combative prey, and this chemical means of subduing prey shows several dominant phenotypes. Many front-fanged snakes, particularly vipers, feed on various vertebrate and invertebrate prey species, and some of their venom components (e.g., metalloproteinases, cobratoxin) appear to have been selected for "broad-brush" incapacitation of different prey taxa. Using proteomic and genomic techniques, the compositional diversity of front-fanged snakes is becoming well characterized; however, this is not the case for most rear-fanged colubroid snakes. Because these species consume a high diversity of prey, and because venoms are primarily a trophic adaptation, important clues for understanding specific selective pressures favoring venom component composition will be found among rear-fanged snake venoms. Rear-fanged snakes typically (but not always) produce venoms with lower complexity than front-fanged snakes, and there are even fewer dominant (and, arguably, biologically most relevant) venom protein families. We have demonstrated taxon-specific toxic effects, where lizards and birds show high susceptibility while mammals are largely unaffected, for both Old World and New World rear-fanged snakes, strongly indicating a causal link between toxin evolution and prey preference. New data are presented on myotoxin a, showing that the extremely rapid paralysis induced by this rattlesnake toxin is specific for rodents, and that myotoxin a is ineffectual against lizards. Relatively few rear-fanged snake venoms have been characterized, and basic natural history data are largely lacking, but directed sampling of specialized species indicates that novel compounds are likely among these specialists, particularly among those species feeding on invertebrate prey such as scorpions and centipedes. Because many of the more than 2200 species of colubroid snakes are rear-fanged, and many possess a Duvernoy's venom gland, understanding the nature of their venoms is foundational to understanding venom evolution in advanced snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St, Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA
| | - Anthony J Saviola
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St, Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA
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Junqueira-de-Azevedo ILM, Campos PF, Ching ATC, Mackessy SP. Colubrid Venom Composition: An -Omics Perspective. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:E230. [PMID: 27455326 PMCID: PMC4999846 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8080230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Snake venoms have been subjected to increasingly sensitive analyses for well over 100 years, but most research has been restricted to front-fanged snakes, which actually represent a relatively small proportion of extant species of advanced snakes. Because rear-fanged snakes are a diverse and distinct radiation of the advanced snakes, understanding venom composition among "colubrids" is critical to understanding the evolution of venom among snakes. Here we review the state of knowledge concerning rear-fanged snake venom composition, emphasizing those toxins for which protein or transcript sequences are available. We have also added new transcriptome-based data on venoms of three species of rear-fanged snakes. Based on this compilation, it is apparent that several components, including cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRiSPs), C-type lectins (CTLs), CTLs-like proteins and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), are broadly distributed among "colubrid" venoms, while others, notably three-finger toxins (3FTxs), appear nearly restricted to the Colubridae (sensu stricto). Some putative new toxins, such as snake venom matrix metalloproteinases, are in fact present in several colubrid venoms, while others are only transcribed, at lower levels. This work provides insights into the evolution of these toxin classes, but because only a small number of species have been explored, generalizations are still rather limited. It is likely that new venom protein families await discovery, particularly among those species with highly specialized diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inácio L M Junqueira-de-Azevedo
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
| | - Pollyanna F Campos
- Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
| | - Ana T C Ching
- Laboratório de Imunoquímica, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
| | - Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA.
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Oliveira LD, Scartozzoni RR, Almeida-Santos SMD, Jared C, Antoniazzi MM, Salomão MDG. Morphology of Duvernoy's Glands and Maxillary Teeth and a Possible Function of the Duvernoy's Gland Secretion inHelicops modestusGünther, 1861 (Serpentes: Xenodontinae). SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.2994/sajh-d-16-00011.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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20
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New JJ, German TC. Spiders at the cocktail party: an ancestral threat that surmounts inattentional blindness. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Production and packaging of a biological arsenal: evolution of centipede venoms under morphological constraint. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:4026-31. [PMID: 25775536 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1424068112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Venom represents one of the most extreme manifestations of a chemical arms race. Venoms are complex biochemical arsenals, often containing hundreds to thousands of unique protein toxins. Despite their utility for prey capture, venoms are energetically expensive commodities, and consequently it is hypothesized that venom complexity is inversely related to the capacity of a venomous animal to physically subdue prey. Centipedes, one of the oldest yet least-studied venomous lineages, appear to defy this rule. Although scutigeromorph centipedes produce less complex venom than those secreted by scolopendrid centipedes, they appear to rely heavily on venom for prey capture. We show that the venom glands are large and well developed in both scutigerid and scolopendrid species, but that scutigerid forcipules lack the adaptations that allow scolopendrids to inflict physical damage on prey and predators. Moreover, we reveal that scolopendrid venom glands have evolved to accommodate a much larger number of secretory cells and, by using imaging mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that toxin production is heterogeneous across these secretory units. We propose that the differences in venom complexity between centipede orders are largely a result of morphological restrictions of the venom gland, and consequently there is a strong correlation between the morphological and biochemical complexity of this unique venom system. The current data add to the growing body of evidence that toxins are not expressed in a spatially homogenous manner within venom glands, and they suggest that the link between ecology and toxin evolution is more complex than previously thought.
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Saviola AJ, Peichoto ME, Mackessy SP. Rear-fanged snake venoms: an untapped source of novel compounds and potential drug leads. TOXIN REV 2014. [DOI: 10.3109/15569543.2014.942040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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23
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Zaher H, de Oliveira L, Grazziotin FG, Campagner M, Jared C, Antoniazzi MM, Prudente AL. Consuming viscous prey: a novel protein-secreting delivery system in neotropical snail-eating snakes. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:58. [PMID: 24661572 PMCID: PMC4021269 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efficient venom delivery systems are known to occur only in varanoid lizards and advanced colubroidean snakes among squamate reptiles. Although components of these venomous systems might have been present in a common ancestor, the two lineages independently evolved strikingly different venom gland systems. In snakes, venom is produced exclusively by serous glands in the upper jaw. Within the colubroidean radiation, lower jaw seromucous infralabial glands are known only in two distinct lineages-the basal pareatids and the more advanced Neotropical dipsadines known as "goo-eating snakes". Goo-eaters are a highly diversified, ecologically specialized clade that feeds exclusively on invertebrates (e.g., gastropod molluscs and annelids). Their evolutionary success has been attributed to their peculiar feeding strategies, which remain surprisingly poorly understood. More specifically, it has long been thought that the more derived Dipsadini genera Dipsas and Sibynomorphus use glandular toxins secreted by their infralabial glands to extract snails from their shells. RESULTS Here, we report the presence in the tribe Dipsadini of a novel lower jaw protein-secreting delivery system effected by a gland that is not functionally related to adjacent teeth, but rather opens loosely on the oral epithelium near the tip of the mandible, suggesting that its secretion is not injected into the prey as a form of envenomation but rather helps control the mucus and assists in the ingestion of their highly viscous preys. A similar protein-secreting system is also present in the goo-eating genus Geophis and may share the same adaptive purpose as that hypothesized for Dipsadini. Our phylogenetic hypothesis suggests that the acquisition of a seromucous infralabial gland represents a uniquely derived trait of the goo-eating clade that evolved independently twice within the group as a functionally complex protein-secreting delivery system. CONCLUSIONS The acquisition by snail-eating snakes of such a complex protein-secreting system suggests that the secretion from the hypertrophied infralabial glands of goo-eating snakes may have a fundamental role in mucus control and prey transport rather than envenomation of prey. Evolution of a functional secretory system that combines a solution for mucus control and transport of viscous preys is here thought to underlie the successful radiation of goo-eating snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussam Zaher
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré 481, São Paulo, SP CEP 04263-000, Brazil
| | - Leonardo de Oliveira
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré 481, São Paulo, SP CEP 04263-000, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24A 1515, Rio Claro, SP CEP 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Felipe G Grazziotin
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré 481, São Paulo, SP CEP 04263-000, Brazil
| | - Michelle Campagner
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré 481, São Paulo, SP CEP 04263-000, Brazil
- Museu Biológico, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil 1500, São Paulo, SP CEP 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Carlos Jared
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil 1500, São Paulo, SP CEP 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Marta M Antoniazzi
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brazil 1500, São Paulo, SP CEP 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Ana L Prudente
- Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Avenida Magalhães Barata 376, Belém, PA CEP 66040-170, Brazil
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Georgieva D, Arni RK, Betzel C. Proteome analysis of snake venom toxins: pharmacological insights. Expert Rev Proteomics 2014; 5:787-97. [DOI: 10.1586/14789450.5.6.787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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de Oliveira L, da Costa Prudente AL, Zaher H. Unusual labial glands in snakes of the genusGeophisWagler, 1830 (Serpentes: Dipsadinae). J Morphol 2013; 275:87-99. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2012] [Revised: 07/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo de Oliveira
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo; Avenida Nazaré 481 Ipiranga São Paulo 04263-000 Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Zoologia; UNESP, Rio Claro; São Paulo Brazil
| | | | - Hussam Zaher
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo; Avenida Nazaré 481 Ipiranga São Paulo 04263-000 Brazil
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Abstract
Disintegrins, a family of polypeptides released in the venoms of viperid snakes (vipers and rattlesnakes) by the proteolytic processing of multidomain metalloproteinases, selectively block the function of β(1) and β(3) integrin receptors. Few of the proteins isolated and characterized from snake venoms have proven to be more structural and functional versatile than the disintegrins. Not surprisingly, 25 years after their discovery, our knowledge on the evolutionary history and the molecular determinants modulating the integrin inhibitory activity of disintegrins still remain fragmentary. This paper highlights some seminal contributions, including personal accounts of pioneer authors, related to basic and applied research on disintegrins. Investigators have evaluated disintegrin applications in therapies for a number of pathologies in which integrin receptors play relevant roles, particularly myocardial infarction and inappropriate tumor angiogenesis. Completing the continuing story of the disintegrin family by applying novel research approaches may hold the key to learn how to use deadly toxins as therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Calvete
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Jaime Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
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27
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Casewell NR, Huttley GA, Wüster W. Dynamic evolution of venom proteins in squamate reptiles. Nat Commun 2012; 3:1066. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Accepted: 08/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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Peichoto ME, Tavares FL, Santoro ML, Mackessy SP. Venom proteomes of South and North American opisthoglyphous (Colubridae and Dipsadidae) snake species: a preliminary approach to understanding their biological roles. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2012; 7:361-9. [PMID: 22974712 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2012.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Revised: 08/13/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Opisthoglyphous snake venoms remain under-explored despite being promising sources for ecological, evolutionary and biomedical/biotechnological research. Herein, we compared the protein composition and enzymatic properties of the venoms of Philodryas baroni (PbV), Philodryas olfersii olfersii (PooV) and Philodryas patagoniensis (PpV) from South America, and Hypsiglena torquata texana (HttV) and Trimorphodon biscutatus lambda (TblV) from North America. All venoms degraded azocasein, and this metalloproteinase activity was significantly inhibited by EDTA. PooV exhibited the highest level of catalytic activity towards synthetic substrates for serine proteinases. All venoms hydrolyzed acetylthiocholine at low levels, and only TblV showed phospholipase A(2) activity. 1D and 2D SDS-PAGE profile comparisons demonstrated species-specific components as well as several shared components. Size exclusion chromatograms from the three Philodryas venoms and HttV were similar, but TblV showed a notably different pattern. MALDI-TOF MS of crude venoms revealed as many as 49 distinct protein masses, assigned to six protein families. MALDI-TOF/TOF MS analysis of tryptic peptides confirmed the presence of cysteine-rich secretory proteins in all venoms, as well as a phospholipase A(2) and a three-finger toxin in TblV. Broad patterns of protein composition appear to follow phylogenetic lines, with finer scale variation likely influenced by ecological factors such as diet and habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- María E Peichoto
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.
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Molecular Evidence for the Nonmonophyly of the Asian Natricid GenusXenochrophis(Serpentes, Colubroidea) as Inferred from Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genes. J HERPETOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1670/10-116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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30
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Fry BG, Casewell NR, Wüster W, Vidal N, Young B, Jackson TNW. The structural and functional diversification of the Toxicofera reptile venom system. Toxicon 2012; 60:434-48. [PMID: 22446061 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2012.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Revised: 02/23/2012] [Accepted: 02/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary origin and diversification of the reptilian venom system is described. The resolution of higher-order molecular phylogenetics has clearly established that a venom system is ancestral to snakes. The diversification of the venom system within lizards is discussed, as is the role of venom delivery in the behavioural ecology of these taxa (particularly Varanus komodoensis). The more extensive diversification of the venom system in snakes is summarised, including its loss in some clades. Finally, we discuss the contentious issue of a definition for "venom", supporting an evolutionary definition that recognises the homology of both the venom delivery systems and the toxins themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Research Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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Sites JW, Reeder TW, Wiens JJ. Phylogenetic Insights on Evolutionary Novelties in Lizards and Snakes: Sex, Birth, Bodies, Niches, and Venom. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2011. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102710-145051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack W. Sites
- Department of Biology and Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602-5181;
| | - Tod W. Reeder
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182-4614;
| | - John J. Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5245;
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Evolution of Conus peptide toxins: analysis of Conus californicus Reeve, 1844. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2010; 56:1-12. [PMID: 20363338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2008] [Revised: 03/26/2010] [Accepted: 03/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Conus species are characterized by their hyperdiverse toxins, encoded by a few gene superfamilies. Our phylogenies of the genus, based on mitochondrial genes, confirm previous results that C. californicus is highly divergent from all other species. Genetic and biochemical analysis of their venom peptides comprise the fifteen most abundant conopeptides and over 50 mature cDNA transcripts from the venom duct. Although C. californicus venom retains many of the general properties of other Conus species, they share only half of the toxin gene superfamilies found in other Conus species. Thus, in these two lineages, approximately half of the rapidly diversifying gene superfamilies originated after an early Tertiary split. Such results demonstrate that, unlike endogenously acting gene families, these genes are likely to be significantly more restricted in their phylogenetic distribution. In concordance with the evolutionary distance of C. californicus from other species, there are aspects of prey-capture behavior and prey preferences of this species that diverges significantly from all other Conus.
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Georgieva D, Greunke K, Betzel C. Three-dimensional model of the honeybee venom allergen Api m 7: structural and functional insights. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2010; 6:1056-60. [PMID: 20485747 DOI: 10.1039/b923127g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Api m 7 is one of the major protease allergens of the honeybee venom. It consists of a serine protease-like (SPL) and a CUB domain. The knowledge about the structure and function of Api m 7 is limited mainly to its amino acid sequence. Three-dimensional models of the two structural domains were constructed using their amino acid sequences and the crystallographic coordinates of prophenoloxidase-activating factor (PPAF-II) as a template for the SPL domain and the coordinates of porcine spermadhesin PSP-II for the CUB domain. The structural organization of Api m 7 suggests that the CUB domain is involved in interactions with natural substrates while the SPL domain probably activates zymogens. IgE epitopes and antigenic sites were predicted. Api m 7 shows structural and functional similarity to the members of the PPAF-II family. Possible substrates, function and evolution of the enzyme are discussed in the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dessislava Georgieva
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, Laboratory of Structural Biology of Infection and Inflammation, c/o DESY, Notkestrasse 85, Building 22a, 22603 Hamburg, Germany
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Vidal N, Dewynter M, Gower DJ. Dissecting the major American snake radiation: A molecular phylogeny of the Dipsadidae Bonaparte (Serpentes, Caenophidia). C R Biol 2010; 333:48-55. [PMID: 20176336 DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2009.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2009] [Revised: 11/02/2009] [Accepted: 11/03/2009] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The Dipsadidae contains more than 700 extant species belonging to 92 genera and is the largest family of American snakes. In this work, we built a data set including two mitochondrial genes (12S and 16S rRNA) for 125 dipsadid taxa belonging to 59 genera, in order to gain further insights on the phylogenetic relationships of this large group at the subfamilial and generic levels. Among dipsadines, the monotypic genus Nothopsis is the sister-group to Leptodeira. Among xenodontines, the monophyly of seven previously recognized tribes (Alsophiini, Elapomorphini, Hydropsini, Philodryadini, Pseudoboini, Tachymenini and Xenodontini) is confirmed. Among Xenodontini, the genus Liophis is paraphyletic with respect to Erythrolamprus and Umbrivaga and workers should be aware of the inadequacy of the current taxonomy. Finally, the following genera could not confidently be allocated to the above tribes: Caaeteboia, Echinantera and Taeniophallus, Tropidodryas, Manolepis and Pseudalsophis, Xenopholis, Psomophis, Hydrodynastes, Conophis and Crisantophis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Vidal
- UMR 7138, département systématique et évolution, adaptation, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, case postale 26, 57, rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France.
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Weldon CL, Mackessy SP. Biological and proteomic analysis of venom from the Puerto Rican Racer (Alsophis portoricensis: Dipsadidae). Toxicon 2009; 55:558-69. [PMID: 19835906 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2009] [Revised: 09/27/2009] [Accepted: 10/02/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The Puerto Rican Racer Alsophis portoricensis is known to use venom to subdue lizard prey, and extensive damage to specific lizard body tissues has been well documented. The toxicity and biochemistry of the venom, however, has not been explored extensively. We employed biological assays and proteomic techniques to characterize venom from A. portoricensis anegadae collected from Guana Island, British Virgin Islands. High metalloproteinase and gelatinase, as well as low acetylcholinesterase and phosphodiesterase activities were detected, and the venom hydrolyzed the alpha-subunit of human fibrinogen very rapidly. SDS-PAGE analysis of venoms revealed up to 22 protein bands, with masses of approximately 5-160 kDa; very little variation among individual snakes or within one snake between venom extractions was observed. Most bands were approximately 25-62 kD, but MALDI-TOF analysis of crude venom indicated considerable complexity in the 1.5-13 kD mass range, including low intensity peaks in the 6.2-8.8 kD mass range (potential three-finger toxins). MALDI-TOF/TOF MS analysis of tryptic peptides confirmed that a 25 kDa band was a venom cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRiSP) with sequence homology with tigrin, a CRiSP from the natricine colubrid Rhabdophis tigrinus. The venom was quite toxic to NSA mice (Mus musculus: LD(50)=2.1 microg/g), as well as to Anolis lizards (A. carolinensis: 3.8 microg/g). Histology of the venom gland showed distinctive differences from the supralabial salivary glands (serous vs. mucosecretory), and like the Brown Treesnake (Boiga irregularis), another rear-fanged snake, serous secretory cells are arranged in densely packed secretory tubules, with little venom present in tubule lumina. These results clearly demonstrate that venom from A. portoricensis shares components with venoms of front-fanged snakes as well as with other rear-fanged species. Venom from A. portoricensis, in particular the prominent metalloproteinase activity, likely serves an important trophic function by facilitating prey handling and predigestion of prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline L Weldon
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th Street, CB 92, Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA
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The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence and the phylogenetic position of Achalinus meiguensis (Reptilia: Squamata). Sci Bull (Beijing) 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11434-009-0160-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Fry BG, Vidal N, van der Weerd L, Kochva E, Renjifo C. Evolution and diversification of the Toxicofera reptile venom system. J Proteomics 2009; 72:127-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2009.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2009] [Accepted: 01/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Wagstaff SC, Sanz L, Juárez P, Harrison RA, Calvete JJ. Combined snake venomics and venom gland transcriptomic analysis of the ocellated carpet viper, Echis ocellatus. J Proteomics 2009; 71:609-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2008.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2008] [Revised: 10/16/2008] [Accepted: 10/16/2008] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Vidal N, Hedges SB. The molecular evolutionary tree of lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians. C R Biol 2008; 332:129-39. [PMID: 19281946 DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2008.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2008] [Accepted: 07/21/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Squamate reptiles (lizards, snakes, amphisbaenians) number approximately 8200 living species and are a major component of the world's terrestrial vertebrate diversity. Recent molecular phylogenies based on protein-coding nuclear genes have challenged the classical, morphology-based concept of squamate relationships, requiring new classifications, and drawing new evolutionary and biogeographic hypotheses. Even the key and long-held concept of a dichotomy between iguanians (approximately 1470 sp.) and scleroglossans (all other squamates) has been refuted because molecular trees place iguanians in a highly nested position. Together with snakes and anguimorphs, iguanians form a clade--Toxicofera--characterized by the presence of toxin secreting oral glands and demonstrating a single early origin of venom in squamates. Consequently, neither the varanid lizards nor burrowing lineages such as amphisbaenians or dibamid lizards are the closest relative of snakes. The squamate timetree shows that most major groups diversified in the Jurassic and Cretaceous, 200-66 million years (Myr) ago. In contrast, five of the six families of amphisbaenians arose during the early Cenozoic, approximately 60-40 Myr ago, and oceanic dispersal on floating islands apparently played a significant role in their distribution on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Among snakes, molecular data support the basic division between the small fossorial scolecophidians (approximately 370 sp.) and the alethinophidians (all other snakes, approximately 2700 sp.). They show that the alethinophidians were primitively macrostomatan and that this condition was secondarily lost by burrowing lineages. The diversification of alethinophidians resulted from a mid-Cretaceous vicariant event, the separation of South America from Africa, giving rise to Amerophidia (aniliids and tropidophiids) and Afrophidia (all other alethinophidians). Finally, molecular phylogenies have made it possible to draw a detailed evolutionary history of venom among advanced snakes (Caenophidia), a key functional innovation underlying their radiation (approximately 2500 sp.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Vidal
- Département systématique et évolution, UMR 7138, Systématique, évolution, adaptation, case postale 26, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France.
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A nesting of vipers: Phylogeny and historical biogeography of the Viperidae (Squamata: Serpentes). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2008; 49:445-59. [PMID: 18804544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2008.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2007] [Revised: 08/01/2008] [Accepted: 08/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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41
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McCue MD. Prey envenomation does not improve digestive performance in western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 307:568-77. [PMID: 17671964 DOI: 10.1002/jez.411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Although the toxic properties of snake venoms have been recognized throughout history, very little is known about the adaptive significance of these powerful mixtures. This study examined the popular hypothesis that prey envenomation enhances digestion by influencing the energetic costs of digestion and assimilation, gut passage time, and apparent assimilation efficiency (ASSIM) in western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox), a species whose venom is recognized for its comparatively high proteolytic activities. A complete randomized block design allowed repeated measures of specific dynamic action and gut passage time to be measured in eight snakes ingesting four feeding treatments (i.e., artificially envenomated live mice, artificially envenomated prekilled mice, saline injected live mice, and saline injected prekilled mice). A second experiment measured ASSIM in eight snakes ingesting a series of six artificially envenomated or six saline injected mice meals over an 8-week period. Contrary to expectations, the results of both these experiments revealed that envenomation had no significant influence on any of the measured digestive performance variables. Gut passage time averaged 6 days and ASSIM averaged 79.1%. Twenty-one hours following ingestion, postprandial metabolic rates exhibited factorial increases that averaged 3.9-fold greater than resting metabolic rate. Specific dynamic action lasted on average 88 hr and accounted for 26% of the total ingested energy. The results of this study reinforce the need to systematically examine the potential adaptive advantages that venoms confer on the snakes that produce them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marshall D McCue
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA.
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Sanz L, Ayvazyan N, Calvete JJ. Snake venomics of the Armenian mountain vipers Macrovipera lebetina obtusa and Vipera raddei. J Proteomics 2008; 71:198-209. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2008.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2008] [Accepted: 05/26/2008] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Vonk FJ, Admiraal JF, Jackson K, Reshef R, de Bakker MAG, Vanderschoot K, van den Berge I, van Atten M, Burgerhout E, Beck A, Mirtschin PJ, Kochva E, Witte F, Fry BG, Woods AE, Richardson MK. Evolutionary origin and development of snake fangs. Nature 2008; 454:630-3. [DOI: 10.1038/nature07178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2007] [Accepted: 06/19/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Lomonte B, Escolano J, Fernández J, Sanz L, Angulo Y, Gutiérrez JM, Calvete JJ. Snake Venomics and Antivenomics of the Arboreal Neotropical Pitvipers Bothriechis lateralis and Bothriechis schlegelii. J Proteome Res 2008; 7:2445-57. [DOI: 10.1021/pr8000139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Lomonte
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - José Escolano
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Julián Fernández
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Libia Sanz
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Yamileth Angulo
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - José María Gutiérrez
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan J. Calvete
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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45
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Oral glands in dipsadine “goo-eater” snakes: Morphology and histochemistry of the infralabial glands in Atractus reticulatus, Dipsas indica, and Sibynomorphus mikanii. Toxicon 2008; 51:898-913. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2007.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2007] [Revised: 12/17/2007] [Accepted: 12/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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46
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Snake venomics of the South and Central American Bushmasters. Comparison of the toxin composition of Lachesis muta gathered from proteomic versus transcriptomic analysis. J Proteomics 2008; 71:46-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2007.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2007] [Revised: 10/17/2007] [Accepted: 10/19/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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47
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Fry BG, Scheib H, van der Weerd L, Young B, McNaughtan J, Ramjan SFR, Vidal N, Poelmann RE, Norman JA. Evolution of an Arsenal. Mol Cell Proteomics 2008; 7:215-46. [PMID: 17855442 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m700094-mcp200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 265] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Venom is a key innovation underlying the evolution of advanced snakes (Caenophidia). Despite this, very little is known about venom system structural diversification, toxin recruitment event timings, or toxin molecular evolution. A multidisciplinary approach was used to examine the diversification of the venom system and associated toxins across the full range of the approximately 100 million-year-old advanced snake clade with a particular emphasis upon families that have not secondarily evolved a front-fanged venom system ( approximately 80% of the 2500 species). Analysis of cDNA libraries revealed complex venom transcriptomes containing multiple toxin types including three finger toxins, cobra venom factor, cysteine-rich secretory protein, hyaluronidase, kallikrein, kunitz, lectin, matrix metalloprotease, phospholipase A(2), snake venom metalloprotease/a disintegrin and metalloprotease, and waprin. High levels of sequence diversity were observed, including mutations in structural and functional residues, changes in cysteine spacing, and major deletions/truncations. Morphological analysis comprising gross dissection, histology, and magnetic resonance imaging also demonstrated extensive modification of the venom system architecture in non-front-fanged snakes in contrast to the conserved structure of the venom system within the independently evolved front-fanged elapid or viperid snakes. Further, a reduction in the size and complexity of the venom system was observed in species in which constriction has been secondarily evolved as the preferred method of prey capture or dietary preference has switched from live prey to eggs or to slugs/snails. Investigation of the timing of toxin recruitment events across the entire advanced snake radiation indicates that the evolution of advanced venom systems in three front-fanged lineages is associated with recruitment of new toxin types or explosive diversification of existing toxin types. These results support the role of venom as a key evolutionary innovation in the diversification of advanced snakes and identify a potential role for non-front-fanged venom toxins as a rich source for lead compounds for drug design and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan G Fry
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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48
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Angulo Y, Escolano J, Lomonte B, Gutiérrez JM, Sanz L, Calvete JJ. Snake Venomics of Central American Pitvipers: Clues for Rationalizing the Distinct Envenomation Profiles of Atropoides nummifer and Atropoides picadoi. J Proteome Res 2007; 7:708-19. [DOI: 10.1021/pr700610z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yamileth Angulo
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - José Escolano
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Bruno Lomonte
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - José María Gutiérrez
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Libia Sanz
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan J. Calvete
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica, and Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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49
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Calvete JJ, Juárez P, Sanz L. Snake venomics. Strategy and applications. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2007; 42:1405-14. [PMID: 17621391 DOI: 10.1002/jms.1242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Snake bites can be deadly, but the venoms also contain components of medical and biotechnological value. The proteomic characterization of snake venom proteomes, snake venomics, has thus a number of potential benefits for basic research, clinical diagnosis, and development of new research tools and drugs of potential clinical use. Snake venomics is also relevant for a deep understanding of the evolution and the biological effects of the venoms, and to generate immunization protocols to elicit toxin-specific antibodies with greater specificity and effectiveness than conventional systems. Our snake venomics approach starts with the fractionation of the crude venom by reverse-phase HPLC, followed by the initial characterization of each protein fraction by combination of N-terminal sequencing, SDS-PAGE, and mass spectrometric determination of the molecular masses and the cysteine (SH and S--S) content. Protein fractions showing a single electrophoretic band, molecular mass, and N-terminal sequence can be straightforwardly assigned by BLAST analysis to a known protein family. On the other hand, protein fractions showing heterogeneous or blocked N-termini are analyzed by SDS-PAGE and the bands of interest subjected to automated reduction, carbamidomethylation, and in-gel tryptic digestion. The resulting tryptic peptides are then analyzed by MALDI-TOF mass fingerprinting followed by amino acid sequence determination of selected doubly and triply charged peptide ions by collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry. The combined strategy allows us to assign unambiguously all the isolated venom toxins representing over 0.05% of the total venom proteins to known protein families. Protocols and applications of snake venomics are reviewed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Calvete
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, CSIC, Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
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50
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Calvete JJ, Escolano J, Sanz L. Snake Venomics ofBitisSpecies Reveals Large Intragenus Venom Toxin Composition Variation: Application to Taxonomy of Congeneric Taxa. J Proteome Res 2007; 6:2732-45. [PMID: 17559253 DOI: 10.1021/pr0701714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The protein composition of the venoms of the West African Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica rhinoceros), the rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis), and the horned puff adder (Bitis caudalis) were analyzed by RP-HPLC, N-terminal sequencing, SDS-PAGE, MALDI-TOF peptide mass fingerprinting, and CID-MS/MS. In line with previous proteomic and transcriptomic analyses showing that snake venom proteins belong to only a few major protein families, the venom proteomes of Bitis gabonica rhinoceros, Bitis nasicornis, and Bitis caudalis comprise, respectively, toxins from 11, 9, and 8 toxin families. Dimeric disintegrins, PLA2 molecules, serine proteinases, a CRISP, C-type lectin-like proteins, L-amino acid oxidases, and snake venom metalloproteases are present in the three Bitis snake venoms, though they depart from each other in the composition and the relative abundance of their toxins. The venom composition appears to keep information on the evolutionary history of congeneric taxa. Protein similarity coefficients used to estimate the similarity of venom proteins of the Bitis taxa sampled here and in previous studies (eg. Bitis arietans and Bitis gabonica gabonica) support the monophyly of the three West African taxa (B.g. gabonica, B.g. rhinoceros, and B. nasicornis) based on genetic distance reconstructions, the lack of alliances between B. arietans and any other Bitis species, and are consistent with the taxonomic association of Bitis caudalis within the differentiated group of small Bitis species. The low level of venom toxin composition similarity between the two conventionally recognized subspecies of Bitis gabonica, B. g. gabonica and B. g. rhinoceros, supports the consideration by some authors of B. g. rhinoceros as a separate species, Bitis rhinoceros. Moreover, our proteomic data fit better to a weighted phylogram based on overall genetic distances than to an unweighted maximum-parsimony tree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Calvete
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., Jaume Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
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