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Avella I, Schulte L, Hurka S, Damm M, Eichberg J, Schiffmann S, Henke M, Timm T, Lochnit G, Hardes K, Vilcinskas A, Lüddecke T. Proteogenomics-guided functional venomics resolves the toxin arsenal and activity of Deinagkistrodon acutus venom. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 278:135041. [PMID: 39182889 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135041] [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: 07/21/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Snakebite primarily impacts rural communities of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The sharp-nosed viper (Deinagkistrodon acutus) is among the snakes of highest medical importance in Asia. Despite various studies on its venom using modern venomics techniques, a comprehensive understanding of composition and function of this species' venom remains lacking. We combined proteogenomics with extensive bioactivity profiling to present the first genome-level catalogue of D. acutus venom proteins and their exochemistry. Our analysis identified an unusually simple venom containing 45 components from 20 distinct protein families. Relative toxin abundances indicate that C-type lectin and C-type lectin-related protein (CTL), snake venom metalloproteinase (svMP), snake venom serine protease (svSP), and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) constitute 90 % of the venom. Bioassays targeting key aspects of viperid envenomation showed considerable concentration-dependent cytotoxicity, particularly in kidney and lung cells, and potent protease and PLA2 activity. Factor Xa and thrombin activities were minor, and no plasmin activity was observed. Effects on haemolysis, intracellular calcium (Ca2+) release, and nitric oxide (NO) synthesis were negligible. Our analysis provides the first holistic genome-based overview of the toxin arsenal of D. acutus, predicting the molecular and functional basis of its life-threatening effects, and opens novel avenues for treating envenomation by this highly dangerous snake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignazio Avella
- Animal Venomics Lab, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Natural Product Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Lennart Schulte
- Animal Venomics Lab, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Natural Product Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Sabine Hurka
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Natural Product Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; BMBF Junior Research Group in Bioeconomy (BioKreativ) "SymBioÖkonomie", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Maik Damm
- Animal Venomics Lab, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Natural Product Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Johanna Eichberg
- Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Susanne Schiffmann
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Natural Product Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marina Henke
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Natural Product Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Timm
- Protein Analytics, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Friedrichstrasse 24, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Günther Lochnit
- Protein Analytics, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Friedrichstrasse 24, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Natural Product Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research "ASCRIBE", Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Natural Product Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- Animal Venomics Lab, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Natural Product Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
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2
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Schulte L, Uhrig L, Eichberg J, Schwartze M, Auth I, Schulz M, Lindner T, Hien P, Hardes K, Vilcinskas A, Lüddecke T. Comparative venom analysis between melanistic and normally coloured phenotypes of the common adder ( Vipera berus). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:241268. [PMID: 39263452 PMCID: PMC11387060 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.241268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
Snake venom is an ecologically relevant functional trait directly linked with a snake's fitness and survival, facilitating predation and defence. Snake venom variation occurs at all taxonomic levels, but the study at the intraspecific level is still in its early stages. The common adder (Vipera berus) exhibits considerable variation in colour phenotypes across its distribution range. Melanistic (fully black) individuals are the subject of myths and fairytales, and in German folklore such 'hell adders' are considered more toxic than their normally coloured conspecifics despite any formal investigation. Here, we provide the first comparative analysis of venoms from melanistic and normally coloured common adders. Specifically, we compared the venom profiles by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and tested the venoms' protease, phospholipase A2 and cytotoxic activities. Phospholipase A2 activity was similar in both phenotypes, whereas general protease activity was higher in the melanistic venom, which was also more cytotoxic at two concentrations (6.25 and 12.5 µg ml-1). These minor differences between the venoms of melanistic and normally coloured adders are unlikely to be of clinical relevance in the context of human envenomation. In light of our results, the claim that melanistic adders produce more toxic venom than their normally coloured conspecifics appears rooted entirely in folklore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Schulte
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Faculty 09 Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences and Environmental Management, Giessen, Hessen, Germany
- Department of Biodiversity Research, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME Branch for Bioresources, Gießen, Hessen, Germany
- LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany
| | - Lilien Uhrig
- Department of Biodiversity Research, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME Branch for Bioresources, Gießen, Hessen, Germany
| | - Johanna Eichberg
- Department of Biodiversity Research, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME Branch for Bioresources, Gießen, Hessen, Germany
| | - Michael Schwartze
- Institute for Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Munster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
| | - Ingve Auth
- Institute for Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Munster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
| | - Miriam Schulz
- Institute for Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Munster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
| | - Thomas Lindner
- Institute for Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Bayern, Germany
| | - Paul Hien
- Venture for Interconnection, Protection, Education and Research in Adders (VIPERA) e.V., Velburg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Department of Biodiversity Research, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME Branch for Bioresources, Gießen, Hessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Faculty 09 Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences and Environmental Management, Giessen, Hessen, Germany
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Biodiversity Research, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME Branch for Bioresources, Gießen, Hessen, Germany
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3
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Kodama T, Sakamoto SH, Mori A. Cold kiss still hot: limited temperature effects on envenomation performance in predatory strikes of a Japanese pit viper ( Gloydius blomhoffii). Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240719. [PMID: 39079665 PMCID: PMC11288664 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0719] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how environmental factors affect the performance of predators can provide profound insights into predator-prey interactions from evolutionary and ecological perspectives and the global distributional patterns of each taxon. Almost all venomous predators are ectotherms, with muscle contraction properties depending on temperature. For predators having venom transportation systems driven by muscle contraction, temperature may have quite large effects on envenomation performance for prey subjugation. Here, we used videography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to examine thermal effects on envenomation kinematics and venom expenditure in predatory strikes of a venomous snake, the Mamushi Gloydius blomhoffii, to its main rodent prey at various body temperatures under both field and laboratory experimental conditions. Unexpectedly, we found that the thermal effects on envenomation performance are limited over nearly the entire ecologically relevant range of temperature (from 13.2°C to 26.2°C). Although temperature statistically significantly affected the mass of venom injected under field conditions, temperature explained only a minor proportion of the variation in venom expenditure. These findings suggest that the Mamushi is able to maintain prey subjugation performance across a wide range of temperatures, which is highly advantageous for ectothermic predators. Further studies should examine the underlying mechanisms of the limited thermal effects and their ubiquity across venomous predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonori Kodama
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
| | - Shinsuke H. Sakamoto
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki889-2192, Japan
- Center for Animal Disease Control, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki889-2192, Japan
| | - Akira Mori
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto606-8502, Japan
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Hus KK, Buczkowicz J, Pietrowska M, Petrilla V, Petrillová M, Legáth J, Litschka-Koen T, Bocian A. Venom diversity in Naja mossambica: Insights from proteomic and immunochemical analyses reveal intraspecific differences. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012057. [PMID: 38557658 PMCID: PMC11008852 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intraspecific variations in snake venom composition have been extensively documented, contributing to the diverse clinical effects observed in envenomed patients. Understanding these variations is essential for developing effective snakebite management strategies and targeted antivenom therapies. We aimed to comprehensively investigate venoms from three distinct populations of N. mossambica from Eswatini, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal regions in Africa in terms of their protein composition and reactivity with three commercial antivenoms (SAIMR polyvalent, EchiTAb+ICP, and Antivipmyn Africa). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Naja mossambica venoms from Eswatini region exhibited the highest content of neurotoxic proteins, constituting 20.70% of all venom proteins, compared to Limpopo (13.91%) and KwaZulu-Natal (12.80%), and was characterized by the highest diversity of neurotoxic proteins, including neurotoxic 3FTxs, Kunitz-type inhibitors, vespryns, and mamba intestinal toxin 1. KwaZulu-Natal population exhibited considerably lower cytotoxic 3FTx, higher PLA2 content, and significant diversity in low-abundant proteins. Conversely, Limpopo venoms demonstrated the least diversity as demonstrated by electrophoretic and mass spectrometry analyses. Immunochemical assessments unveiled differences in venom-antivenom reactivity, particularly concerning low-abundance proteins. EchiTAb+ICP antivenom demonstrated superior reactivity in serial dilution ELISA assays compared to SAIMR polyvalent. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our findings reveal a substantial presence of neurotoxic proteins in N. mossambica venoms, challenging previous understandings of their composition. Additionally, the detection of numerous peptides aligning to uncharacterized proteins or proteins with unknown functions underscores a critical issue with existing venom protein databases, emphasizing the substantial gaps in our knowledge of snake venom protein components. This underscores the need for enhanced research in this domain. Moreover, our in vitro immunological assays suggest EchiTAb+ICP's potential as an alternative to SAIMR antivenom, requiring confirmation through prospective in vivo neutralization studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad K. Hus
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Justyna Buczkowicz
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Monika Pietrowska
- Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Vladimír Petrilla
- Department of Biology and Physiology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Košice, Slovakia
- Zoological Department, Zoological Garden Košice, Košice-Kavečany, Slovakia
| | - Monika Petrillová
- Department of General Competencies, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Jaroslav Legáth
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszow, Poland
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Košice, Slovakia
| | | | - Aleksandra Bocian
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszow, Poland
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5
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Phan P, Deshwal A, McMahon TA, Slikas M, Andrews E, Becker B, Kumar TKS. A Review of Rattlesnake Venoms. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 16:2. [PMID: 38276526 PMCID: PMC10818703 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16010002] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Venom components are invaluable in biomedical research owing to their specificity and potency. Many of these components exist in two genera of rattlesnakes, Crotalus and Sistrurus, with high toxicity and proteolytic activity variation. This review focuses on venom components within rattlesnakes, and offers a comparison and itemized list of factors dictating venom composition, as well as presenting their known characteristics, activities, and significant applications in biosciences. There are 64 families and subfamilies of proteins present in Crotalus and Sistrurus venom. Snake venom serine proteases (SVSP), snake venom metalloproteases (SVMP), and phospholipases A2 (PLA2) are the standard components in Crotalus and Sistrurus venom. Through this review, we highlight gaps in the knowledge of rattlesnake venom; there needs to be more information on the venom composition of three Crotalus species and one Sistrurus subspecies. We discuss the activity and importance of both major and minor components in biomedical research and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuc Phan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA;
| | - Anant Deshwal
- Department of Biology, Bradley University, Peoria, IL 61625, USA; (T.A.M.); (M.S.); (E.A.)
| | - Tyler Anthony McMahon
- Department of Biology, Bradley University, Peoria, IL 61625, USA; (T.A.M.); (M.S.); (E.A.)
| | - Matthew Slikas
- Department of Biology, Bradley University, Peoria, IL 61625, USA; (T.A.M.); (M.S.); (E.A.)
| | - Elodie Andrews
- Department of Biology, Bradley University, Peoria, IL 61625, USA; (T.A.M.); (M.S.); (E.A.)
| | - Brian Becker
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA;
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Maag DW, Francioli YZ, Shaw N, Soni AY, Castoe TA, Schuett GW, Clark RW. Hunting behavior and feeding ecology of Mojave rattlesnakes ( Crotalus scutulatus), prairie rattlesnakes ( Crotalus viridis), and their hybrids in southwestern New Mexico. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10683. [PMID: 38020675 PMCID: PMC10630157 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Predators must contend with numerous challenges to successfully find and subjugate prey. Complex traits related to hunting are partially controlled by a large number of co-evolved genes, which may be disrupted in hybrids. Accordingly, research on the feeding ecology of animals in hybrid zones has shown that hybrids sometimes exhibit transgressive or novel behaviors, yet for many taxa, empirical studies of predation and diet across hybrid zones are lacking. We undertook the first such field study for a hybrid zone between two snake species, the Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) and the prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis). Specifically, we leveraged established field methods to quantify the hunting behaviors of animals, their prey communities, and the diet of individuals across the hybrid zone in southwestern New Mexico, USA. We found that, even though hybrids had significantly lower body condition indices than snakes from either parental group, hybrids were generally similar to non-hybrids in hunting behavior, prey encounter rates, and predatory attack and success. We also found that, compared to C. scutulatus, C. viridis was significantly more active while hunting at night and abandoned ambush sites earlier in the morning, and hybrids tended to be more viridis-like in this respect. Prey availability was similar across the study sites, including within the hybrid zone, with kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spp.) as the most common small mammal, both in habitat surveys and the frequency of encounters with hunting rattlesnakes. Analysis of prey remains in stomachs and feces also showed broad similarity in diets, with all snakes preying primarily on small mammals and secondarily on lizards. Taken together, our results suggest that the significantly lower body condition of hybrids does not appear to be driven by differences in their hunting behavior or diet and may instead relate to metabolic efficiency or other physiological traits we have not yet identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan W. Maag
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal BiologyUniversity of California, RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Noelle Shaw
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ashana Y. Soni
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Todd A. Castoe
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Texas at ArlingtonArlingtonTexasUSA
| | - Gordon W. Schuett
- Department of Biology, Neuroscience InstituteGeorgia State UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Chiricahua Desert MuseumRodeoNew MexicoUSA
| | - Rulon W. Clark
- Department of BiologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Chiricahua Desert MuseumRodeoNew MexicoUSA
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7
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Wster W, Tillack F. On the importance of types and the perils of en passant taxonomy: a brief history of the typification of Coluber naja Linnaeus, 1758 (Serpentes: Elapidae) and its implications, with the designation of a lectotype. Zootaxa 2023; 5346:403-419. [PMID: 38221330 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5346.4.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
In response to the recent in passing (en passant) taxonomic decision to split Naja naja (Linnaeus) and recognise the Sri Lankan populations as a separate species, N. polyocellata Deraniyagala, we analyse the evidence underlying the proposal and its nomenclatural implications. The proposed split is weakly supported by the available evidence, so that retaining N. naja as a single species seems appropriate until further analysis. Moreover, the proposal raises several issues concerning types, type locality and nomenclature. Linnaeus description of Coluber naja was based on a single preserved specimen seen by him (now lost) and several illustrations in Sebas Thesaurus. The specimens that were the basis of these illustrations constitute part of the type series. Two of the latter specimens, ZMB 2795 and 2796, have been rediscovered in the collections of the Museum fr Naturkunde, Berlin. Here, we describe them, and determine that both are of Sri Lankan origin. To settle the question of the type and type locality of this iconic taxon, we designate ZMB 2796 as lectotype for the species, thereby implicitly restricting the type locality to Sri Lanka. The name polyocellata thus becomes a subjective junior synonym of Coluber naja, and the name Naja brasiliensis Laurenti, 1768 an objective junior synonym thereof. Any taxonomic recognition of additional diversity within N. naja would thus require the renaming of Indian, not Sri Lankan spectacled cobras, but should await a significant body of convincing evidence. We caution against taxonomic decisions taken in passing, based on limited evidence and without in-depth assessment of their nomenclatural implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Wster
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Bangor; School of Natural Sciences; Bangor University; Bangor LL57 2UW; Wales; UK.
| | - Frank Tillack
- Museum fr Naturkunde; Leibniz-Institut fr Evolutions- und Biodiversittsforschung; Invalidenstrae 43; 10115 Berlin; Germany.
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8
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Op den Brouw B, Fernandez-Rojo MA, Charlton T, Fry BG, Ikonomopoulou MP. Malaysian and Chinese King Cobra Venom Cytotoxicity in Melanoma and Neonatal Foreskin Fibroblasts Is Mediated by Age and Geography. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:549. [PMID: 37755975 PMCID: PMC10534572 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15090549] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Snake venoms constitute a complex, rapidly evolving trait, whose composition varies between and within populations depending on geographical location, age and preys (diets). These factors have determined the adaptive evolution for predatory success and link venom heterogeneity with prey specificity. Moreover, understanding the evolutionary drivers of animal venoms has streamlined the biodiscovery of venom-derived compounds as drug candidates in biomedicine and biotechnology. The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah; Cantor, 1836) is distributed in diverse habitats, forming independent populations, which confer differing scale markings, including between hatchlings and adults. Furthermore, king cobra venoms possess unique cytotoxic properties that are used as a defensive trait, but their toxins may also have utility as promising anticancer-agent candidates. However, the impact of geographical distribution and age on these potential venom applications has been typically neglected. In this study, we hypothesised that ontogenetic venom variation accompanies the morphological distinction between hatchlings and adults. We used non-transformed neonatal foreskin (NFF) fibroblasts to examine and compare the variability of venom cytotoxicity between adult captive breeding pairs from Malaysian and Chinese lineages, along with that of their progeny upon hatching. In parallel, we assessed the anticancer potential of these venoms in human-melanoma-patient-derived cells (MM96L). We found that in a geographical distribution and gender-independent manner, venoms from hatchlings were significantly less cytotoxic than those from adults (NFF; ~Log EC50: 0.5-0.6 vs. 0.2-0.35 mg/mL). This is consistent with neonates occupying a semifossorial habitat, while adults inhabit more above-ground habitats and are therefore more conspicuous to potential predators. We also observed that Malaysian venoms exhibited a slightly higher cytotoxicity than those from the Chinese cobra cohorts (NFF; Log EC50: 0.1-0.3 vs. 0.3-0.4 mg/mL), which is consistent with Malaysian king cobras being more strongly aposematically marked. These variations are therefore suggestive of differential anti-predator strategies associated with the occupation of distinct niches. However, all cobra venoms were similarly cytotoxic in both melanoma cells and fibroblasts, limiting their potential medical applications in their native forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Op den Brouw
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia;
| | - Manuel A. Fernandez-Rojo
- Hepatic Regenerative Medicine Group, Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain;
- Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Tom Charlton
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Building, Manchester M15 6BH, UK;
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia;
| | - Maria P. Ikonomopoulou
- Translational Venomics Group, Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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9
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Schulte L, Damm M, Avella I, Uhrig L, Erkoc P, Schiffmann S, Fürst R, Timm T, Lochnit G, Vilcinskas A, Lüddecke T. Venomics of the milos viper ( Macrovipera schweizeri) unveils patterns of venom composition and exochemistry across blunt-nosed viper venoms. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1254058. [PMID: 37719269 PMCID: PMC10500195 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1254058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Snakebite is a neglected tropical disease and a globally important driver of death and morbidity. Vipers of the genus Macrovipera (Viperidae: Viperinae) are among the snakes of higher medical importance in the Old World. Despite the medical relevance of Macrovipera venoms, the knowledge regarding them is heterogeneously distributed with virtually all works conducted so far focusing on subspecies of Macrovipera lebetinus, while other species within the genus are largely overlooked. Here we present the first proteomic evaluation of the venom from the Greek endemic Milos viper (Macrovipera schweizeri). In line with clinical symptoms typically elicited by Macrovipera envenomations, Milos viper venom primarily comprises coagulotoxic and cytotoxic protein families, such as metalloproteinases (svMP) and serine proteases (svSP). Methods: We conducted comparative bioactivity assays on venoms from M. schweizeri and the M. lebetinus subspecies M. lebetinus cernovi, M. lebetinus obtusa, and M. lebetinus turanica, and showed that they all exhibit similarities in levels of cytotoxicity proteolytic activity, and inhibition of prokaryotic growth. Lastly, we compared Macrovipera venom profiles by 1D-SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC, as well as our proteomic data with previously published Macrovipera venom proteomes. Results and discussion: The analyzes performed to reveal that a general venom profile seems to be conserved across blunt-nosed vipers, and that, M. schweizeri envenomations, similarly to those caused by other blunt-nosed vipers, are able to cause significant tissue damage. The present work represents an important starting point for the development of comparative studies across the full taxonomic range of the genus Macrovipera and can potentially help optimize the treatment of envenomations caused by M. schweizeri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Schulte
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Maik Damm
- LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ignazio Avella
- CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO Associated Laboratory, University Port, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- CIBIO, BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Lilien Uhrig
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Pelin Erkoc
- LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Susanne Schiffmann
- LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Robert Fürst
- LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thomas Timm
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Günter Lochnit
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Germany
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10
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Kazemi SM, Hosseinzadeh MS, Weinstein SA. Identifying the geographic distribution pattern of venomous snakes and regions of high snakebite risk in Iran. Toxicon 2023; 231:107197. [PMID: 37321410 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We describe species richness patterns of venomous snakes in Iran in order to produce snakebite risk prediction maps and identify gaps in regional health care centers capable of managing snakebites. We digitized distribution maps from the literature, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and the results of our own field studies of 24 terrestrial venomous snake species (including 4 endemic to Iran). Species richness patterns were associated with eight environmental factors. The variables have been extracted from the WorldClim dataset (bio12 = annual precipitation, bio15 = precipitation seasonality, bio17 = precipitation of the driest quarter, bio2 = mean diurnal range, bio3 = isothermality (bio2/bio7), bio4 = temperature seasonality, bio9 = mean temperature of the driest quarter and slope). Based on spatial analyses, species richness in Iran is highly affected by three environmental variables (bio12, 15, and 17) associated with precipitation. The relationship patterns among these predictors and species richness were strong and linear. The hotspot regions for venomous snakes species are concentrated on the western to southwestern and north to northeastern regions of Iran, which is partially consistent with the known Irano-Anatolian biodiversity hotspot. Because of the high number of endemic species and climatic conditions on the Iranian Plateau, the venoms of snakes distributed in those areas may contain novel properties and components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mahdi Kazemi
- Zagros Herpetological Institute, 37156-88415, P. O. No 12, Somayyeh 14 Avenue, Qom, Iran
| | | | - Scott A Weinstein
- Playford Family Medicine, 297 Peachey Rd., Munno Para, South Australia, 5115, Australia; Young Adult Institute, 220 E. 42nd St., 8th Floor, NY, NY, 10017, USA; Premier Health Care, 227 E. 41st St., 8th Floor, NY, NY, 10017, USA.
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11
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Rosales-García RA, Rautsaw RM, Hofmann EP, Grünwald CI, Franz-Chavez H, Ahumada-Carrillo IT, Ramirez-Chaparro R, de la Torre-Loranca MA, Strickland JL, Mason AJ, Holding ML, Borja M, Castañeda-Gaytan G, Myers EA, Sasa M, Rokyta DR, Parkinson CL. Sequence Divergence in Venom Genes Within and Between Montane Pitviper (Viperidae: Crotalinae: Cerrophidion) Species is Driven by Mutation-Drift Equilibrium. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:514-535. [PMID: 37269364 PMCID: PMC10995822 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10115-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Snake venom can vary both among and within species. While some groups of New World pitvipers-such as rattlesnakes-have been well studied, very little is known about the venom of montane pitvipers (Cerrophidion) found across the Mesoamerican highlands. Compared to most well-studied rattlesnakes, which are widely distributed, the isolated montane populations of Cerrophidion may facilitate unique evolutionary trajectories and venom differentiation. Here, we describe the venom gland transcriptomes for populations of C. petlalcalensis, C. tzotzilorum, and C. godmani from Mexico, and a single individual of C. sasai from Costa Rica. We explore gene expression variation in Cerrophidion and sequence evolution of toxins within C. godmani specifically. Cerrophidion venom gland transcriptomes are composed primarily of snake venom metalloproteinases, phospholipase A[Formula: see text]s (PLA[Formula: see text]s), and snake venom serine proteases. Cerrophidion petlalcalensis shows little intraspecific variation; however, C. godmani and C. tzotzilorum differ significantly between geographically isolated populations. Interestingly, intraspecific variation was mostly attributed to expression variation as we did not detect signals of selection within C. godmani toxins. Additionally, we found PLA[Formula: see text]-like myotoxins in all species except C. petlalcalensis, and crotoxin-like PLA[Formula: see text]s in the southern population of C. godmani. Our results demonstrate significant intraspecific venom variation within C. godmani and C. tzotzilorum. The toxins of C. godmani show little evidence of directional selection where variation in toxin sequence is consistent with evolution under a model of mutation-drift equilibrium. Cerrophidion godmani individuals from the southern population may exhibit neurotoxic venom activity given the presence of crotoxin-like PLA[Formula: see text]s; however, further research is required to confirm this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rhett M Rautsaw
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings St., Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Erich P Hofmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings St., Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- Science Department, Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington, NC, 28401, USA
| | | | - Hector Franz-Chavez
- Herp.mx A.C., Colima, Mexico
- Biodiversa A. C., Chapala, Jalisco, 45900, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Jason L Strickland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings St., Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- Department of Biology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, 36688, USA
| | - Andrew J Mason
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings St., Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Matthew L Holding
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings St., Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Miguel Borja
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universdad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Gómez Palacio, Durango, 35010, Mexico
| | - Gamaliel Castañeda-Gaytan
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universdad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Gómez Palacio, Durango, 35010, Mexico
| | - Edward A Myers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings St., Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Mahmood Sasa
- Centro Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical and Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Darin R Rokyta
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Christopher L Parkinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 190 Collings St., Clemson, SC, 29634, USA.
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12
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Avella I, Damm M, Freitas I, Wüster W, Lucchini N, Zuazo Ó, Süssmuth RD, Martínez-Freiría F. One Size Fits All-Venomics of the Iberian Adder ( Vipera seoanei, Lataste 1878) Reveals Low Levels of Venom Variation across Its Distributional Range. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:371. [PMID: 37368672 PMCID: PMC10301717 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15060371] [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: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
European vipers (genus Vipera) are medically important snakes displaying considerable venom variation, occurring at different levels in this group. The presence of intraspecific venom variation, however, remains understudied in several Vipera species. Vipera seoanei is a venomous snake endemic to the northern Iberian Peninsula and south-western France, presenting notable phenotypic variation and inhabiting several diverse habitats across its range. We analysed the venoms of 49 adult specimens of V. seoanei from 20 localities across the species' Iberian distribution. We used a pool of all individual venoms to generate a V. seoanei venom reference proteome, produced SDS-PAGE profiles of all venom samples, and visualised patterns of variation using NMDS. By applying linear regression, we then assessed presence and nature of venom variation between localities, and investigated the effect of 14 predictors (biological, eco-geographic, genetic) on its occurrence. The venom comprised at least 12 different toxin families, of which five (i.e., PLA2, svSP, DI, snaclec, svMP) accounted for about 75% of the whole proteome. The comparative analyses of the SDS-PAGE venom profiles showed them to be remarkably similar across the sampled localities, suggesting low geographic variability. The regression analyses suggested significant effects of biological and habitat predictors on the little variation we detected across the analysed V. seoanei venoms. Other factors were also significantly associated with the presence/absence of individual bands in the SDS-PAGE profiles. The low levels of venom variability we detected within V. seoanei might be the result of a recent population expansion, or of processes other than directional positive selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignazio Avella
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; (I.F.); (N.L.)
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Maik Damm
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 124, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (M.D.)
| | - Inês Freitas
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; (I.F.); (N.L.)
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Wolfgang Wüster
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Bangor, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK;
| | - Nahla Lucchini
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; (I.F.); (N.L.)
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Óscar Zuazo
- Calle La Puebla 1, 26250 Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Spain
| | - Roderich D. Süssmuth
- Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 124, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (M.D.)
| | - Fernando Martínez-Freiría
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; (I.F.); (N.L.)
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
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13
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Duran LH, Wilson DT, Salih M, Rymer TL. Interactions between physiology and behaviour provide insights into the ecological role of venom in Australian funnel-web spiders: Interspecies comparison. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285866. [PMID: 37216354 PMCID: PMC10202279 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Australian funnel-web spiders are iconic species, characterized as being the most venomous spiders in the world. They are also valued for the therapeutics and natural bioinsecticides potentially hidden in their venom molecules. Although numerous biochemical and molecular structural approaches have tried to determine the factors driving venom complexity, these approaches have not considered behaviour, physiology and environmental conditions collectively, which can play a role in the evolution, complexity, and function of venom components in funnel-webs. This study used a novel interdisciplinary approach to understand the relationships between different behaviours (assessed in different ecological contexts) and morphophysiological variables (body condition, heart rate) that may affect venom composition in four species of Australian funnel-web spiders. We tested defensiveness, huddling behaviour, frequency of climbing, and activity for all species in three ecological contexts: i) predation using both indirect (puff of air) and direct (prodding) stimuli; ii) conspecific tolerance; and iii) exploration of a new territory. We also assessed morphophysiological variables and venom composition of all species. For Hadronyche valida, the expression of some venom components was associated with heart rate and defensiveness during the predation context. However, we did not find any associations between behavioural traits and morphophysiological variables in the other species, suggesting that particular associations may be species-specific. When we assessed differences between species, we found that the species separated out based on the venom profiles, while activity and heart rate are likely more affected by individual responses and microhabitat conditions. This study demonstrates how behavioural and morphophysiological traits are correlated with venom composition and contributes to a broader understanding of the function and evolution of venoms in funnel-web spiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Hernández Duran
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
- Australian Institute for Tropical Health and Medicine, Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - David Thomas Wilson
- Australian Institute for Tropical Health and Medicine, Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Mohamed Salih
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tasmin Lee Rymer
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
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14
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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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15
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Diversity of Phospholipases A2 from Bothrops atrox Snake Venom: Adaptive Advantages for Snakes Compromising Treatments for Snakebite Patients. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14080543. [PMID: 36006204 PMCID: PMC9414272 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14080543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of snake venoms resulted in multigene toxin families that code for structurally similar isoforms eventually harboring distinct functions. PLA2s are dominant toxins in viper venoms, and little is known about the impact of their diversity on human envenomings and neutralization by antivenoms. Here, we show the isolation of three distinct PLA2s from B. atrox venom. FA1 is a Lys-49 homologue, and FA3 and FA4 are catalytic Asp-49 PLA2s. FA1 and FA3 are basic myotoxic proteins, while FA4 is an acid non-myotoxic PLA2. FA3 was the most potent toxin, inducing higher levels of edema, inflammatory nociception, indirect hemolysis, and anticoagulant activity on human, rat, and chicken plasmas. FA4 presented lower anticoagulant activity, and FA1 had only a slight effect on human and rat plasmas. PLA2s presented differential reactivities with antivenoms, with an emphasis on FA3, which was not recognized or neutralized by the antivenoms used in this study. Our findings reveal the functional and antigenic diversity among PLA2s from B. atrox venom, highlighting the importance of assessing venom variability for understanding human envenomations and treatment with antivenoms, particularly evident here as the antivenom fails to recognize FA3, the most active multifunctional toxin described.
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16
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Harrison CM, Colbert J, Richter CJ, McDonald PJ, Trumbull LM, Ellsworth SA, Hogan MP, Rokyta DR, Margres MJ. Using Morphological, Genetic, and Venom Analyses to Present Current and Historic Evidence of Crotalus horridus x adamanteus Hybridization on Jekyll Island, Georgia. SOUTHEAST NAT 2022. [DOI: 10.1656/058.021.0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph Colbert
- Jekyll Island Authority Conservation Department, Jekyll Island, GA 31527
| | - Collin J. Richter
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Preston J. McDonald
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620
| | - Lauren M. Trumbull
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620
| | - Schyler A. Ellsworth
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 33306
| | - Michael P. Hogan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 33306
| | - Darin R. Rokyta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 33306
| | - Mark J. Margres
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620
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17
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Esmaeilishirazifard E, Usher L, Trim C, Denise H, Sangal V, Tyson GH, Barlow A, Redway KF, Taylor JD, Kremyda-Vlachou M, Davies S, Loftus TD, Lock MMG, Wright K, Dalby A, Snyder LAS, Wuster W, Trim S, Moschos SA. Bacterial Adaptation to Venom in Snakes and Arachnida. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0240821. [PMID: 35604233 PMCID: PMC9248900 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02408-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal venoms are considered sterile sources of antimicrobial compounds with strong membrane-disrupting activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, venomous bite wound infections are common in developing nations. Investigating the envenomation organ and venom microbiota of five snake and two spider species, we observed venom community structures that depend on the host venomous animal species and evidenced recovery of viable microorganisms from black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) and Indian ornamental tarantula (Poecilotheria regalis) venoms. Among the bacterial isolates recovered from N. nigricollis, we identified two venom-resistant, novel sequence types of Enterococcus faecalis whose genomes feature 16 virulence genes, indicating infectious potential, and 45 additional genes, nearly half of which improve bacterial membrane integrity. Our findings challenge the dogma of venom sterility and indicate an increased primary infection risk in the clinical management of venomous animal bite wounds. IMPORTANCE Notwithstanding their 3 to 5% mortality, the 2.7 million envenomation-related injuries occurring annually-predominantly across Africa, Asia, and Latin America-are also major causes of morbidity. Venom toxin-damaged tissue will develop infections in some 75% of envenomation victims, with E. faecalis being a common culprit of disease; however, such infections are generally considered to be independent of envenomation. Here, we provide evidence on venom microbiota across snakes and arachnida and report on the convergent evolution mechanisms that can facilitate adaptation to black-necked cobra venom in two independent E. faecalis strains, easily misidentified by biochemical diagnostics. Therefore, since inoculation with viable and virulence gene-harboring bacteria can occur during envenomation, acute infection risk management following envenomation is warranted, particularly for immunocompromised and malnourished victims in resource-limited settings. These results shed light on how bacteria evolve for survival in one of the most extreme environments on Earth and how venomous bites must be also treated for infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Esmaeilishirazifard
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
- Westminster Genomic Services, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Usher
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
- Westminster Genomic Services, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carol Trim
- School of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Hubert Denise
- EMBL-EBI European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Vartul Sangal
- Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory H. Tyson
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of Research, Laurel, Maryland, USA
| | - Axel Barlow
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Keith F. Redway
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - John D. Taylor
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
- Westminster Genomic Services, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Myrto Kremyda-Vlachou
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Davies
- Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Kstir Wright
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Dalby
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lori A. S. Snyder
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy, and Chemistry, Kingston University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Wolfgang Wuster
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution at Bangor, School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Trim
- Venomtech, Ltd., Sandwich, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Sterghios A. Moschos
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
- Westminster Genomic Services, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
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18
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Mason AJ, Holding ML, Rautsaw RM, Rokyta DR, Parkinson CL, Gibbs HL. Venom gene sequence diversity and expression jointly shape diet adaptation in pitvipers. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6567549. [PMID: 35413123 PMCID: PMC9040050 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the joint roles of protein sequence variation and differential expression during adaptive evolution is a fundamental, yet largely unrealized goal of evolutionary biology. Here, we use phylogenetic path analysis to analyze a comprehensive venom-gland transcriptome dataset spanning three genera of pitvipers to identify the functional genetic basis of a key adaptation (venom complexity) linked to diet breadth (DB). The analysis of gene-family-specific patterns reveals that, for genes encoding two of the most important venom proteins (snake venom metalloproteases and snake venom serine proteases), there are direct, positive relationships between sequence diversity (SD), expression diversity (ED), and increased DB. Further analysis of gene-family diversification for these proteins showed no constraint on how individual lineages achieved toxin gene SD in terms of the patterns of paralog diversification. In contrast, another major venom protein family (PLA2s) showed no relationship between venom molecular diversity and DB. Additional analyses suggest that other molecular mechanisms—such as higher absolute levels of expression—are responsible for diet adaptation involving these venom proteins. Broadly, our findings argue that functional diversity generated through sequence and expression variations jointly determine adaptation in the key components of pitviper venoms, which mediate complex molecular interactions between the snakes and their prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Mason
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Rhett M Rautsaw
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - 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
| | - H Lisle Gibbs
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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19
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Zancolli G, Reijnders M, Waterhouse RM, Robinson-Rechavi M. Convergent evolution of venom gland transcriptomes across Metazoa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2111392119. [PMID: 34983844 PMCID: PMC8740685 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2111392119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals have repeatedly evolved specialized organs and anatomical structures to produce and deliver a mixture of potent bioactive molecules to subdue prey or predators-venom. This makes it one of the most widespread, convergent functions in the animal kingdom. Whether animals have adopted the same genetic toolkit to evolved venom systems is a fascinating question that still eludes us. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of venom gland transcriptomes from 20 venomous species spanning the main Metazoan lineages to test whether different animals have independently adopted similar molecular mechanisms to perform the same function. We found a strong convergence in gene expression profiles, with venom glands being more similar to each other than to any other tissue from the same species, and their differences closely mirroring the species phylogeny. Although venom glands secrete some of the fastest evolving molecules (toxins), their gene expression does not evolve faster than evolutionarily older tissues. We found 15 venom gland-specific gene modules enriched in endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response pathways, indicating that animals have independently adopted stress response mechanisms to cope with mass production of toxins. This, in turn, activates regulatory networks for epithelial development, cell turnover, and maintenance, which seem composed of both convergent and lineage-specific factors, possibly reflecting the different developmental origins of venom glands. This study represents a first step toward an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the repeated evolution of one of the most successful adaptive traits in the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Zancolli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland;
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Group, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Maarten Reijnders
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
- Evolutionary-Functional Genomics Group, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
- Evolutionary-Functional Genomics Group, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Group, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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20
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Malhotra A, Wüster W, Owens JB, Hodges CW, Jesudasan A, Ch G, Kartik A, Christopher P, Louies J, Naik H, Santra V, Kuttalam SR, Attre S, Sasa M, Bravo-Vega C, Murray KA. Promoting co-existence between humans and venomous snakes through increasing the herpetological knowledge base. Toxicon X 2021; 12:100081. [PMID: 34522881 PMCID: PMC8426276 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2021.100081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebite incidence at least partly depends on the biology of the snakes involved. However, studies of snake biology have been largely neglected in favour of anthropic factors, with the exception of taxonomy, which has been recognised for some decades to affect the design of antivenoms. Despite this, within-species venom variation and the unpredictability of the correlation with antivenom cross-reactivity has continued to be problematic. Meanwhile, other aspects of snake biology, including behaviour, spatial ecology and activity patterns, distribution, and population demography, which can contribute to snakebite mitigation and prevention, remain underfunded and understudied. Here, we review the literature relevant to these aspects of snakebite and illustrate how demographic, spatial, and behavioural studies can improve our understanding of why snakebites occur and provide evidence for prevention strategies. We identify the large gaps that remain to be filled and urge that, in the future, data and relevant metadata be shared openly via public data repositories so that studies can be properly replicated and data used in future meta-analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Malhotra
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution @ Bangor, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, 3rd floor ECW, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Wolfgang Wüster
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution @ Bangor, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, 3rd floor ECW, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
| | - John Benjamin Owens
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution @ Bangor, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, 3rd floor ECW, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2UW, UK
- Captive & Field Herpetology Ltd, Wales, 13 Hirfron, Holyhead, Llaingoch, Anglesey, LL65 1YU, UK
| | - Cameron Wesley Hodges
- School of Biology, Institute of Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Muang Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Allwin Jesudasan
- Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Centre for Herpetology, Post bag No.4, Vadanamelli Village, East Coast Road, Mamallapuram, 603 104, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Gnaneswar Ch
- Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Centre for Herpetology, Post bag No.4, Vadanamelli Village, East Coast Road, Mamallapuram, 603 104, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ajay Kartik
- Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Centre for Herpetology, Post bag No.4, Vadanamelli Village, East Coast Road, Mamallapuram, 603 104, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Peter Christopher
- Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Centre for Herpetology, Post bag No.4, Vadanamelli Village, East Coast Road, Mamallapuram, 603 104, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Hiral Naik
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. P. O. Wits, 2050, Gauteng, South Africa
- Save the Snakes, R527, Blyderus, Hoedspruit, 1380, South Africa
| | - Vishal Santra
- Captive & Field Herpetology Ltd, Wales, 13 Hirfron, Holyhead, Llaingoch, Anglesey, LL65 1YU, UK
- Society for Nature Conservation, Research and Community Engagement (CONCERN), Nalikul, Hooghly, West Bengal 712407, India
| | - Sourish Rajagopalan Kuttalam
- Society for Nature Conservation, Research and Community Engagement (CONCERN), Nalikul, Hooghly, West Bengal 712407, India
| | - Shaleen Attre
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, Marlowe Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR, UK
| | - Mahmood Sasa
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Carlos Bravo-Vega
- Research Group in Mathematical and Computational Biology (BIOMAC), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of the Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Kris A. Murray
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, UK
- MRC Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Atlantic Boulevard, Fajara, Gambia
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21
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Chowdhury MAW, Müller J, Varela S. Climate change and the increase of human population will threaten conservation of Asian cobras. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18113. [PMID: 34518621 PMCID: PMC8438023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97553-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Asian cobras (genus Naja) are venomous snakes distributed from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. Because cobras often live near humans settlements, they are responsible for a large part of snakebite incidents and as such pose a challenge for public health systems. In the light of growing human populations, correctly mapping the present and future ranges of Asian cobras is therefore important for both biological conservation and public health management. Here, we mapped the potential climatic niches of ten Asian cobra species for both the present and the future, with the aim to quantify changes in climate and human population densities relative to their current and future ranges. Our analyses reveal that cobras that are adapted to dry climates and inhabit islands have narrow climatic niches, while those of mainland species with larger geographic ranges are much wider. We also found a higher degree of fragmentation of future cobra distributions; within the next 50 years, Asian cobras will lose an average of around 60% of their current suitable climatic range. In the near future, Naja mandalayensis, N. sputatrix, N. samarensis, and N. philippinensis are likely to have no accessible suitable climate space left. Besides, a further increase of human populations in this region may also exponentially accelerate the effects of anthropogenic impacts. Solutions for conservation may involve awareness and appropriate use of law to overcome the rate of habitat degradation and the increase of animal trade of Asian cobras, while promoting investment on health systems to avoid snakebite fatalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Abdul Wahed Chowdhury
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
- Institut Für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Zoology, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, 4331, Bangladesh.
- Department of Medicine, Venom Research Centre, Chittagong Medical College, Chattogram, 4203, Bangladesh.
| | - Johannes Müller
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, 10115, Berlin, Germany
- Institut Für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sara Varela
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, 10115, Berlin, Germany
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo GEA, 36310, Vigo, Spain
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22
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Pintor AF, Ray N, Longbottom J, Bravo-Vega CA, Yousefi M, Murray KA, Ediriweera DS, Diggle PJ. Addressing the global snakebite crisis with geo-spatial analyses - Recent advances and future direction. Toxicon X 2021; 11:100076. [PMID: 34401744 PMCID: PMC8350508 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2021.100076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Venomous snakebite is a neglected tropical disease that annually leads to hundreds of thousands of deaths or long-term physical and mental ailments across the developing world. Insufficient data on spatial variation in snakebite risk, incidence, human vulnerability, and accessibility of medical treatment contribute substantially to ineffective on-ground management. There is an urgent need to collect data, fill knowledge gaps and address on-ground management problems. The use of novel, and transdisciplinary approaches that take advantage of recent advances in spatio-temporal models, 'big data', high performance computing, and fine-scale spatial information can add value to snakebite management by strategically improving our understanding and mitigation capacity of snakebite. We review the background and recent advances on the topic of snakebite related geospatial analyses and suggest avenues for priority research that will have practical on-ground applications for snakebite management and mitigation. These include streamlined, targeted data collection on snake distributions, snakebites, envenomings, venom composition, health infrastructure, and antivenom accessibility along with fine-scale models of spatio-temporal variation in snakebite risk and incidence, intraspecific venom variation, and environmental change modifying human exposure. These measures could improve and 'future-proof' antivenom production methods, antivenom distribution and stockpiling systems, and human-wildlife conflict management practices, while simultaneously feeding into research on venom evolution, snake taxonomy, ecology, biogeography, and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna F.V. Pintor
- Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact (DDI), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Nicolas Ray
- GeoHealth Group, Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joshua Longbottom
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Centre for Health Informatics, Computing and Statistics, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos A. Bravo-Vega
- Research Group in Mathematical and Computational Biology (BIOMAC), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Masoud Yousefi
- School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Iran
| | - Kris A. Murray
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, UK
- MRC Unit the Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Atlantic Blvd, Fajara, Gambia
| | - Dileepa S. Ediriweera
- Health Data Science Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka
| | - Peter J. Diggle
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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23
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Wong KY, Tan KY, Tan NH, Gnanathasan CA, Tan CH. Elucidating the Venom Diversity in Sri Lankan Spectacled Cobra ( Naja naja) through De Novo Venom Gland Transcriptomics, Venom Proteomics and Toxicity Neutralization. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:558. [PMID: 34437429 PMCID: PMC8402536 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13080558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Inadequate effectiveness of Indian antivenoms in treating envenomation caused by the Spectacled Cobra/Indian Cobra (Naja naja) in Sri Lanka has been attributed to geographical variations in the venom composition. This study investigated the de novo venom-gland transcriptomics and venom proteomics of the Sri Lankan N. naja (NN-SL) to elucidate its toxin gene diversity and venom variability. The neutralization efficacy of a commonly used Indian antivenom product in Sri Lanka was examined against the lethality induced by NN-SL venom in mice. The transcriptomic study revealed high expression of 22 toxin genes families in NN-SL, constituting 46.55% of total transcript abundance. Three-finger toxins (3FTX) were the most diversely and abundantly expressed (87.54% of toxin gene expression), consistent with the dominance of 3FTX in the venom proteome (72.19% of total venom proteins). The 3FTX were predominantly S-type cytotoxins/cardiotoxins (CTX) and α-neurotoxins of long-chain or short-chain subtypes (α-NTX). CTX and α-NTX are implicated in local tissue necrosis and fatal neuromuscular paralysis, respectively, in envenomation caused by NN-SL. Intra-species variations in the toxin gene sequences and expression levels were apparent between NN-SL and other geographical specimens of N. naja, suggesting potential antigenic diversity that impacts antivenom effectiveness. This was demonstrated by limited potency (0.74 mg venom/ml antivenom) of the Indian polyvalent antivenom (VPAV) in neutralizing the NN-SL venom. A pan-regional antivenom with improved efficacy to treat N. naja envenomation is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kin Ying Wong
- Venom Research and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia;
| | - Kae Yi Tan
- Protein and Interactomics Laboratory, Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia;
| | - Nget Hong Tan
- Protein and Interactomics Laboratory, Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia;
| | | | - Choo Hock Tan
- Venom Research and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia;
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24
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Robinson KE, Holding ML, Whitford MD, Saviola AJ, Yates JR, Clark RW. Phenotypic and functional variation in venom and venom resistance of two sympatric rattlesnakes and their prey. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1447-1465. [PMID: 34322920 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Predator-prey interactions often lead to the coevolution of adaptations associated with avoiding predation and, for predators, overcoming those defences. Antagonistic coevolutionary relationships are often not simple interactions between a single predator and prey but rather a complex web of interactions between multiple coexisting species. Coevolution between venomous rattlesnakes and small mammals has led to physiological venom resistance in several mammalian taxa. In general, viperid venoms contain large quantities of snake venom metalloproteinase toxins (SVMPs), which are inactivated by SVMP inhibitors expressed in resistant mammals. We explored variation in venom chemistry, SVMP expression, and SVMP resistance across four co-distributed species (California Ground Squirrels, Bryant's Woodrats, Southern Pacific Rattlesnakes, and Red Diamond Rattlesnakes) collected from four different populations in Southern California. Our aim was to understand phenotypic and functional variation in venom and venom resistance in order to compare coevolutionary dynamics of a system involving two sympatric predator-prey pairs to past studies that have focused on single pairs. Proteomic analysis of venoms indicated that these rattlesnakes express different phenotypes when in sympatry, with Red Diamonds expressing more typical viperid venom (with a diversity of SVMPs) and Southern Pacifics expressing a more atypical venom with a broader range of non-enzymatic toxins. We also found that although blood sera from both mammals were generally able to inhibit SVMPs from both rattlesnake species, inhibition depended strongly on the snake population, with snakes from one geographic site expressing SVMPs to which few mammals were resistant. Additionally, we found that Red Diamond venom, rather than woodrat resistance, was locally adapted. Our findings highlight the complexity of coevolutionary relationships between multiple predators and prey that exhibit similar offensive and defensive strategies in sympatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Robinson
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Matthew L Holding
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA.,Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Malachi D Whitford
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.,Ecology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Anthony J Saviola
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - John R Yates
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Neurobiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rulon W Clark
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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25
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Fedosov A, Zaharias P, Puillandre N. A phylogeny-aware approach reveals unexpected venom components in divergent lineages of cone snails. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211017. [PMID: 34229491 PMCID: PMC8261202 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1017] [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: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine gastropods of the genus Conus are renowned for their remarkable diversity and deadly venoms. While Conus venoms are increasingly well studied for their biomedical applications, we know surprisingly little about venom composition in other lineages of Conidae. We performed comprehensive venom transcriptomic profiling for Conasprella coriolisi and Pygmaeconus traillii, first time for both respective genera. We complemented reference-based transcriptome annotation by a de novo toxin prediction guided by phylogeny, which involved transcriptomic data on two additional 'divergent' cone snail lineages, Profundiconus, and Californiconus. We identified toxin clusters (SSCs) shared among all or some of the four analysed genera based on the identity of the signal region-a molecular tag present in toxins. In total, 116 and 98 putative toxins represent 29 and 28 toxin gene superfamilies in Conasprella and Pygmaeconus, respectively; about quarter of these only found by semi-manual annotation of the SSCs. Two rare gene superfamilies, originally identified from fish-hunting cone snails, were detected outside Conus rather unexpectedly, so we further investigated their distribution across Conidae radiation. We demonstrate that both these, in fact, are ubiquitous in Conidae, sometimes with extremely high expression. Our findings demonstrate how a phylogeny-aware approach circumvents methodological caveats of similarity-based transcriptome annotation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Fedosov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, 119071 Moscow, Russian Federation
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 26, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Paul Zaharias
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 26, 75005 Paris, France
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Nicolas Puillandre
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 26, 75005 Paris, France
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26
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Seneci L, Zdenek CN, Bourke LA, Cochran C, Sánchez EE, Neri-Castro E, Bénard-Valle M, Alagón A, Frank N, Fry BG. A symphony of destruction: Dynamic differential fibrinogenolytic toxicity by rattlesnake (Crotalus and Sistrurus) venoms. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2021; 245:109034. [PMID: 33766656 PMCID: PMC8162888 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2021.109034] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
What factors influence the evolution of a heavily selected functional trait in a diverse clade? This study adopts rattlesnakes as a model group to investigate the evolutionary history of venom coagulotoxicity in the wider context of phylogenetics, natural history, and biology. Venom-induced clotting of human plasma and fibrinogen was determined and mapped onto the rattlesnake phylogenetic tree to reconstruct the evolution of coagulotoxicity across the group. Our results indicate that venom phenotype is often independent of phylogenetic relationships in rattlesnakes, suggesting the importance of diet and/or other environmental variables in driving venom evolution. Moreover, the striking inter- and intraspecific variability in venom activity on human blood highlights the considerable variability faced by physicians treating envenomation. This study is the most comprehensive effort to date to describe and characterize the evolutionary and biological aspects of coagulotoxins in rattlesnake venom. Further research at finer taxonomic levels is recommended to elucidate patterns of variation within species and lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Seneci
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Lachlan A Bourke
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Chip Cochran
- Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Elda E Sánchez
- National Natural Toxins Research Center (NNTRC), Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, MSC 224, 975 West Avenue B, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Edgar Neri-Castro
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologa, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Melisa Bénard-Valle
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologa, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Alagón
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologa, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | | | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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27
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Claunch NM, Holding M, Frazier JT, Huff EM, Schonour RB, Vernasco B, Moore IT, Rokyta DR, Taylor EN. Experimental Manipulation of Corticosterone Does Not Affect Venom Composition or Functional Activity in Free-Ranging Rattlesnakes. Physiol Biochem Zool 2021; 94:286-301. [PMID: 34166170 DOI: 10.1086/714936] [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] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractVenom is an integral feeding trait in many animal species. Although venom often varies ontogenetically, little is known about the proximate physiological mediators of venom variation within individuals. The glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (CORT) can alter the transcription and activation of proteins, including homologues of snake venom components such as snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2). CORT is endogenously produced by snakes, varies seasonally and also in response to stress, and is a candidate endogenous mediator of changes in venom composition and functional activity. Here, we tested the hypothesis that CORT induces changes in snake venom by sampling the venom of wild adult rattlesnakes before and after they were treated with either empty (control) or CORT-filled (treatment) Silastic implants. We measured longitudinal changes in whole-venom composition, whole-venom total protein content, and enzymatic activity of SVMP and PLA2 components of venom. We also assessed the within-individual repeatability of venom components. Despite successfully elevating plasma CORT in the treatment group, we found no effect of CORT treatment or average plasma CORT level on any venom variables measured. Except for total protein content, venom components were highly repeatable within individuals ([Formula: see text]). Our results indicate that the effects of CORT, a hormone commonly associated with stress and metabolic functions, in adult rattlesnake venom are negligible. Our findings bode well for venom researchers and biomedical applications that rely on the consistency of venoms produced from potentially stressed individuals and provide an experimental framework for future studies of proximate mediators of venom variation across an individual's life span.
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Damm M, Hempel BF, Süssmuth RD. Old World Vipers-A Review about Snake Venom Proteomics of Viperinae and Their Variations. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13060427. [PMID: 34204565 PMCID: PMC8235416 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13060427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fine-tuned by millions of years of evolution, snake venoms have frightened but also fascinated humanity and nowadays they constitute potential resources for drug development, therapeutics and antivenoms. The continuous progress of mass spectrometry techniques and latest advances in proteomics workflows enabled toxinologists to decipher venoms by modern omics technologies, so-called ‘venomics’. A tremendous upsurge reporting on snake venom proteomes could be observed. Within this review we focus on the highly venomous and widely distributed subfamily of Viperinae (Serpentes: Viperidae). A detailed public literature database search was performed (2003–2020) and we extensively reviewed all compositional venom studies of the so-called Old-World Vipers. In total, 54 studies resulted in 89 venom proteomes. The Viperinae venoms are dominated by four major, four secondary, six minor and several rare toxin families and peptides, respectively. The multitude of different venomics approaches complicates the comparison of venom composition datasets and therefore we differentiated between non-quantitative and three groups of quantitative workflows. The resulting direct comparisons within these groups show remarkable differences on the intra- and interspecies level across genera with a focus on regional differences. In summary, the present compilation is the first comprehensive up-to-date database on Viperinae venom proteomes and differentiating between analytical methods and workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maik Damm
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Benjamin-Florian Hempel
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, (BCRT), 10117 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Roderich D. Süssmuth
- Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)30-314-24205
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Avella I, Barajas-Ledesma E, Casewell NR, Harrison RA, Rowley PD, Crittenden E, Wüster W, Castiglia R, Holland C, van der Meijden A. Unexpected lack of specialisation in the flow properties of spitting cobra venom. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:238100. [PMID: 33827968 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.229229] [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: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Venom spitting is a defence mechanism based on airborne venom delivery used by a number of different African and Asian elapid snake species ('spitting cobras'; Naja spp. and Hemachatus spp.). Adaptations underpinning venom spitting have been studied extensively at both behavioural and morphological level in cobras, but the role of the physical properties of venom itself in its effective projection remains largely unstudied. We hereby provide the first comparative study of the physical properties of venom in spitting and non-spitting cobras. We measured the viscosity, protein concentration and pH of the venom of 13 cobra species of the genus Naja from Africa and Asia, alongside the spitting elapid Hemachatus haemachatus and the non-spitting viper Bitis arietans By using published microCT scans, we calculated the pressure required to eject venom through the fangs of a spitting and a non-spitting cobra. Despite the differences in the modes of venom delivery, we found no significant differences between spitters and non-spitters in the rheological and physical properties of the studied venoms. Furthermore, all analysed venoms showed a Newtonian flow behaviour, in contrast to previous reports. Although our results imply that the evolution of venom spitting did not significantly affect venom viscosity, our models of fang pressure suggests that the pressure requirements to eject venom are lower in spitting cobras than in non-spitting cobras.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignazio Avella
- CIBIO/InBIO - Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Edgar Barajas-Ledesma
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Robert A Harrison
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Paul D Rowley
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Edouard Crittenden
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Wolfgang Wüster
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Riccardo Castiglia
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie 'Charles Darwin', Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Chris Holland
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Arie van der Meijden
- CIBIO/InBIO - Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
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Senji Laxme RR, Khochare S, Attarde S, Suranse V, Iyer A, Casewell NR, Whitaker R, Martin G, Sunagar K. Biogeographic venom variation in Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) and the preclinical inefficacy of antivenom therapy in snakebite hotspots. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009247. [PMID: 33764996 PMCID: PMC7993602 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Snakebite in India results in over 58,000 fatalities and a vast number of morbidities annually. The majority of these clinically severe envenomings are attributed to Russell's viper (Daboia russelii), which has a near pan-India distribution. Unfortunately, despite its medical significance, the influence of biogeography on the composition and potency of venom from disparate D. russelii populations, and the repercussions of venom variation on the neutralisation efficacy of marketed Indian antivenoms, remain elusive. METHODS Here, we employ an integrative approach comprising proteomic characterisation, biochemical analyses, pharmacological assessment, and venom toxicity profiling to elucidate the influence of varying ecology and environment on the pan-Indian populations of D. russelii. We then conducted in vitro venom recognition experiments and in vivo neutralisation assays to evaluate the efficacy of the commercial Indian antivenoms against the geographically disparate D. russelii populations. FINDINGS We reveal significant intraspecific variation in the composition, biochemical and pharmacological activities and potencies of D. russelii venoms sourced from five distinct biogeographic zones across India. Contrary to our understanding of the consequences of venom variation on the effectiveness of snakebite therapy, commercial antivenom exhibited surprisingly similar neutralisation potencies against the majority of the investigated populations, with the exception of low preclinical efficacy against the semi-arid population from northern India. However, the ability of Indian antivenoms to counter the severe morbid effects of Daboia envenoming remains to be evaluated. CONCLUSION The concerning lack of antivenom efficacy against the north Indian population of D. russelii, as well as against two other 'big four' snake species in nearby locations, underscores the pressing need to develop pan-India effective antivenoms with improved efficacy in high snakebite burden locales.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. R. Senji Laxme
- 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
| | - Saurabh Attarde
- 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
| | - Ashwin Iyer
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 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. East Coast Road, Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Gerard Martin
- The Liana Trust. Survey #1418/1419 Rathnapuri, Hunsur, Karnataka, India
| | - Kartik Sunagar
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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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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Sunagar K, Abraham SV. The Curious Case of the "Neurotoxic Skink": Scientific Literature Points to the Absence of Venom in Scincidae. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13020114. [PMID: 33546362 PMCID: PMC7913497 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to the clearly documented evolution of venom in many animal lineages, the origin of reptilian venom is highly debated. Historically, venom has been theorised to have evolved independently in snakes and lizards. However, some of the recent works have argued for the common origin of venom in “Toxicofera” reptiles, which include the order Serpentes (all snakes), and Anguimorpha and Iguania lizards. Nevertheless, in both these contrasting hypotheses, the lizards of the family Scincidae are considered to be harmless and devoid of toxic venoms. Interestingly, an unusual clinical case claiming neurotoxic envenoming by a scincid lizard was recently reported in Southern India. Considering its potentially significant medicolegal, conservation and evolutionary implications, we have summarised the scientific evidence that questions the validity of this clinical report. We argue that the symptoms documented in the patient are likely to have resulted from krait envenomation, which is far too frequent in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartik Sunagar
- Evolutionary Venomics Lab, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India
- Correspondence:
| | - Siju V Abraham
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur 680005, Kerala, India;
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op den Brouw B, Coimbra FCP, Bourke LA, Huynh TM, Vlecken DHW, Ghezellou P, Visser JC, Dobson JS, Fernandez-Rojo MA, Ikonomopoulou MP, Casewell NR, Ali SA, Fathinia B, Hodgson WC, Fry BG. Extensive Variation in the Activities of Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis Viper Venoms Suggests Divergent Envenoming Strategies Are Used for Prey Capture. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:112. [PMID: 33540884 PMCID: PMC7913145 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes of the genera Pseudocerastes and Eristicophis (Viperidae: Viperinae) are known as the desert vipers due to their association with the arid environments of the Middle East. These species have received limited research attention and little is known about their venom or ecology. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of desert viper venoms was conducted by visualising the venom proteomes via gel electrophoresis and assessing the crude venoms for their cytotoxic, haemotoxic, and neurotoxic properties. Plasmas sourced from human, toad, and chicken were used as models to assess possible prey-linked venom activity. The venoms demonstrated substantial divergence in composition and bioactivity across all experiments. Pseudocerastes urarachnoides venom activated human coagulation factors X and prothrombin and demonstrated potent procoagulant activity in human, toad, and chicken plasmas, in stark contrast to the potent neurotoxic venom of P. fieldi. The venom of E. macmahonii also induced coagulation, though this did not appear to be via the activation of factor X or prothrombin. The coagulant properties of P. fieldi and P. persicus venoms varied among plasmas, demonstrating strong anticoagulant activity in the amphibian and human plasmas but no significant effect in that of bird. This is conjectured to reflect prey-specific toxin activity, though further ecological studies are required to confirm any dietary associations. This study reinforces the notion that phylogenetic relatedness of snakes cannot readily predict venom protein composition or function. The significant venom variation between these species raises serious concerns regarding antivenom paraspecificity. Future assessment of antivenom is crucial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca op den Brouw
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Francisco C. P. Coimbra
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Lachlan A. Bourke
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Tam Minh Huynh
- Monash Venom Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (T.M.H.); (W.C.H.)
| | - Danielle H. W. Vlecken
- Department of Animal Science and Health, Institute of Biology Leiden, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Parviz Ghezellou
- Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran;
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Jeroen C. Visser
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - James S. Dobson
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
| | - Manuel A. Fernandez-Rojo
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.A.F.-R.); (M.P.I.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Maria P. Ikonomopoulou
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Food, E28049 Madrid, Spain; (M.A.F.-R.); (M.P.I.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK;
| | - Syed A. Ali
- HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan;
| | - Behzad Fathinia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Yasouj University, 75914 Yasouj, Iran;
| | - Wayne C. Hodgson
- Monash Venom Group, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (T.M.H.); (W.C.H.)
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (F.C.P.C.); (L.A.B.); (J.C.V.); (J.S.D.)
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Duran LH, Rymer TL, Wilson DT. Variation in venom composition in the Australian funnel-web spiders Hadronyche valida. Toxicon X 2020; 8:100063. [PMID: 33305257 PMCID: PMC7711288 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2020.100063] [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] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mygalomorph venom properties and active components, which have importance in medicine, agronomy, venomics, ecology and evolution, have been widely studied, but only a small fraction have been characterised. Several studies have shown inter-individual variation in the composition of venom peptides based on ontogeny, sexual dimorphism, season and diet. However, intra-individual variation in venom composition, which could play a key role in the evolution, diversification and function of toxins, is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate significant intra- and inter-individual variation in venom composition in the Australian funnel-web spider Hadronyche valida, highlighting that individuals show different venom profiles over time. Fourteen (four juvenile and ten adult females) funnel-web spiders, maintained under the same environmental conditions and diet, were milked a total of four times, one month apart. We then used reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry to generate venom fingerprints containing the retention time and molecular weights of the different toxin components in the venom. Across all individuals, we documented a combined total of 83 individual venom components. Only 20% of these components were shared between individuals. Individuals showed variation in the composition of venom peptides, with some components consistently present over time, while others were only present at specific times. When individuals were grouped using the Jaccard clustering index and Kernel Principal Component Analysis, spiders formed two distinct clusters, most likely due to their origin or time of collection. This study contributes to the understanding of variation in venom composition at different levels (intra-individual, and intra- and inter-specific) and considers some of the mechanisms of selection that may contribute to venom diversification within arachnids. In addition, inter-specific variation in venom composition can be highly useful as a chemotaxonomic marker to identify funnel-web species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Hernández Duran
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, P. O. Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, James Cook University, P. O. Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
| | - Tasmin Lee Rymer
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, P. O. Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, James Cook University, P. O. Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
| | - David Thomas Wilson
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute for Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4878, Australia
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Ghezellou P, Albuquerque W, Garikapati V, Casewell NR, Kazemi SM, Ghassempour A, Spengler B. Integrating Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mass Spectrometric Strategies for Proteomic Profiling of Iranian Saw-Scaled Viper, Echis carinatus sochureki, Venom. J Proteome Res 2020; 20:895-908. [PMID: 33225711 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Saw-scaled or carpet vipers (genus Echis) are considered to cause a higher global snakebite mortality than any other snake. Echis carinatus sochureki (ECS) is a widely distributed snake species, also found across the thirteen provinces of Iran, where it is assumed to be responsible for the most snakebite envenomings. Here, we collected the Iranian specimens of ECS from three different geographically distinct populations, investigated food habits, and performed toxicity assessment and venom proteome profiling to better understand saw-scaled viper life. Our results show that the prey items most commonly found in all populations were arthropods, with scorpions from the family Buthidae particularly well represented. LD50 (median lethal dose) values of the crude venom demonstrate highly comparable venom toxicities in mammals. Consistent with this finding, venom characterization via top-down and bottom-up proteomics, applied to both crude venoms and size-exclusion chromatographic fractions, revealed highly comparable venom compositions among the different populations. By combining all proteomics data, we identified 22 protein families from 102 liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) raw files, including the most abundant snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs, 29-34%); phospholipase A2 (PLA2s, 26-31%); snake venom serine proteinases (SVSPs, 11-12%); l-amino acid oxidases (LAOs, 8-11%), C-type lectins/lectin-like (CTLs, 7-9%) protein families, and many newly detected ones, e.g., renin-like aspartic proteases (RLAPs), fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases (PPIs), and venom vasodilator peptides (VVPs). Furthermore, we identified and characterized methylated, acetylated, and oxidized proteoforms relating to the PLA2 and disintegrin toxin families and the site of their modifications. It thus seems that post-translational modifications (PTMs) of toxins, particularly target lysine residues, may play an essential role in the structural and functional properties of venom proteins and might be able to influence the therapeutic response of antivenoms, to be investigated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parviz Ghezellou
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - Wendell Albuquerque
- Institute of Food Chemistry and Food Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - Vannuruswamy Garikapati
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Seyed Mahdi Kazemi
- Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 1983963113, Iran
| | - Alireza Ghassempour
- Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 1983963113, Iran
| | - Bernhard Spengler
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen 35392, Germany
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36
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Mora-Obando D, Salazar-Valenzuela D, Pla D, Lomonte B, Guerrero-Vargas JA, Ayerbe S, Gibbs HL, Calvete JJ. Venom variation in Bothrops asper lineages from North-Western South America. J Proteomics 2020; 229:103945. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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37
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da Silva-Júnior LN, Abreu LDS, Rodrigues CFB, Galizio NDC, Aguiar WDS, Serino-Silva C, Dos Santos VS, Costa IA, Oliveira LVF, Sant'Anna SS, Grego KF, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Rodrigues LNDS, de Morais-Zani K. Geographic variation of individual venom profile of Crotalus durissus snakes. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2020; 26:e20200016. [PMID: 32922444 PMCID: PMC7449379 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: South American rattlesnakes are represented in Brazil by a single species,
Crotalus durissus, which has public health importance
due to the severity of its envenomation and to its wide geographical
distribution. The species is subdivided into several subspecies, but the
current classification is controversial. In Brazil, the venoms of C.
d. terrificus and C. d. collilineatus are used
for hyperimmunization of horses for antivenom production, even though the
distinction of these two subspecies are mostly by their geographical
distribution. In this context, we described a comparative compositional and
functional characterization of individual C. d.
collilineatus and C. d. terrificus venoms from
three Brazilian states. Methods: We compared the compositional patterns of C. d. terrificus
and C. d. collilineatus individual venoms by 1-DE and
RP-HPLC. For functional analyzes, the enzymatic activities of
PLA2, LAAO, and coagulant activity were evaluated. Finally,
the immunorecognition of venom toxins by the crotalic antivenom produced at
Butantan Institute was evaluated using Western blotting. Results: The protein profile of individual venoms from C. d.
collilineatus and C. d. terrificus showed a
comparable overall composition, despite some intraspecific variation,
especially regarding crotamine and LAAO. Interestingly, HPLC analysis showed
a geographic pattern concerning PLA2. In addition, a remarkable
intraspecific variation was also observed in PLA2, LAAO and
coagulant activities. The immunorecognition pattern of individual venoms
from C. d. collilineatus and C. d.
terrificus by crotalic antivenom produced at Butantan Institute
was similar. Conclusions: The results highlighted the individual variability among the venoms of
C. durissus ssp. specimens. Importantly, our data point
to a geographical variation of C. durissus ssp. venom
profile, regardless of the subspecies, as evidenced by PLA2
isoforms complexity, which may explain the increase in venom neurotoxicity
from Northeastern through Southern Brazil reported for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Norberto da Silva-Júnior
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation (PPGMHR), University Center of Anápolis (UniEVANGÉLICA), Anápolis, GO, Brazil
| | | | - Caroline Fabri Bittencourt Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (PPIB-IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Nathália da Costa Galizio
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (PPIB-IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Weslei da Silva Aguiar
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate 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 Graduate Program in Biotechnology (PPIB-IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Valdomiro Souza Dos Santos
- Graduate Program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation (PPGMHR), University Center of Anápolis (UniEVANGÉLICA), Anápolis, GO, Brazil
| | - Isabella Alves Costa
- Graduate Program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation (PPGMHR), University Center of Anápolis (UniEVANGÉLICA), Anápolis, GO, Brazil
| | - Luis Vicente Franco Oliveira
- Graduate Program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation (PPGMHR), University Center of Anápolis (UniEVANGÉLICA), Anápolis, GO, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (PPIB-IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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38
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Olaoba OT, Karina dos Santos P, Selistre-de-Araujo HS, Ferreira de Souza DH. Snake Venom Metalloproteinases (SVMPs): A structure-function update. Toxicon X 2020; 7:100052. [PMID: 32776002 PMCID: PMC7399193 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2020.100052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) represent a diverse group of multi-domain proteins with several biological activities such as the ability to induce hemorrhage, proteolytic degradation of fibrinogen and fibrin, induction of apoptosis and inhibition of platelet aggregation. Due to these activities, SVMPs are responsible for many of the well-known pathological phenotypes in snake envenomations caused particularly by species from the Viperidae family and the Crotalinae subfamily. These proteins have been classified based on their size and domain structure into P–I, P-II and P-III classes. Comparatively, members of the P–I SVMPs possess the simplest structures, formed by the catalytic metalloproteinase domain only; the P-II SVMPs are moderately more complex, having the canonical disintegrin domain in addition to the metalloproteinase domain; members of the P-III class are more structurally varied, comprising the metalloproteinase, disintegrin-like, and cysteine-rich domains. Proteolytic cleavage, repeated domain loss and presence of other ancillary domains are responsible for structural diversities in the P-III class. However, studies continue to unveil the relationship between the structure and function of these proteins. In this review, we recovered evidences from literature on the structural peculiarities and functional classification of Snake Venom Metalloproteinases. In addition, we reflect on diversities that exist among each class while taking into account specific and up-to-date class-based activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olamide Tosin Olaoba
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km 235, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Patty Karina dos Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km 235, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Dulce Helena Ferreira de Souza
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km 235, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
- Corresponding author.
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39
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Casewell NR, Jackson TNW, Laustsen AH, Sunagar K. Causes and Consequences of Snake Venom Variation. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2020; 41:570-581. [PMID: 32564899 PMCID: PMC7116101 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Snake venoms are mixtures of toxins that vary extensively between and within snake species. This variability has serious consequences for the management of the world’s 1.8 million annual snakebite victims. Advances in ‘omic’ technologies have empowered toxinologists to comprehensively characterize snake venom compositions, unravel the molecular mechanisms that underpin venom variation, and elucidate the ensuing functional consequences. In this review, we describe how such mechanistic processes have resulted in suites of toxin isoforms that cause diverse pathologies in human snakebite victims and we detail how variation in venom composition can result in treatment failure. Finally, we outline current therapeutic approaches designed to circumvent venom variation and deliver next-generation treatments for the world’s most lethal neglected tropical disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
| | - Timothy N W Jackson
- Australian Venom Research Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andreas H Laustsen
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kartik Sunagar
- Evolutionary Venomics Laboratory, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India
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40
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Modahl CM, Roointan A, Rogers J, Currier K, Mackessy SP. Interspecific and intraspecific venom enzymatic variation among cobras (Naja sp. and Ophiophagus hannah). Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2020; 232:108743. [PMID: 32194156 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The genera Ophiophagus and Naja comprise part of a clade of snakes referred to as cobras, dangerously venomous front-fanged snakes in the family Elapidae responsible for significant human mortality and morbidity throughout Asia and Africa. We evaluated venom enzyme variation for eleven cobra species and three N. kaouthia populations using SDS-PAGE venom fingerprinting and numerous enzyme assays. Acetylcholinesterase and PLA2 activities were the most variable between species, and PLA2 activity was significantly different between Malaysian and Thailand N. kaouthia populations. Venom metalloproteinase activity was low and significantly different among most species, but levels were identical for N. kaouthia populations; minor variation in venom L-amino acid oxidase and phosphodiesterase activities were seen between cobra species. Naja siamensis venom lacked the α-fibrinogenolytic activity common to other cobra venoms. In addition, venom from N. siamensis had no detectable metalloproteinase activity and exhibited an SDS-PAGE profile with reduced abundance of higher mass proteins. Venom profiles from spitting cobras (N. siamensis, N. pallida, and N. mossambica) exhibited similar reductions in higher mass proteins, suggesting the evolution of venoms of reduced complexity and decreased enzymatic activity among spitting cobras. Generally, the venom proteomes of cobras show highly abundant three-finger toxin diversity, followed by large quantities of PLA2s. However, PLA2 bands and activity were very reduced for N. haje, N. annulifera and N. nivea. Venom compositionalenzy analysis provides insight into the evolution, diversification and distribution of different venom phenotypes that complements venomic data, and this information is critical for the development of effective antivenoms and snakebite treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M Modahl
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore
| | - Amir Roointan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, 117543, Singapore; Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Jessica Rogers
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA
| | - Katelyn Currier
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA
| | - Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., Greeley, CO 80639-0017, USA.
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41
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Barua A, Mikheyev AS. Toxin expression in snake venom evolves rapidly with constant shifts in evolutionary rates. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200613. [PMID: 32345154 PMCID: PMC7282918 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Key innovations provide ecological opportunity by enabling access to new resources, colonization of new environments, and are associated with adaptive radiation. The most well-known pattern associated with adaptive radiation is an early burst of phenotypic diversification. Venoms facilitate prey capture and are widely believed to be key innovations leading to adaptive radiation. However, few studies have estimated their evolutionary rate dynamics. Here, we test for patterns of adaptive evolution in venom gene expression data from 52 venomous snake species. By identifying shifts in tempo and mode of evolution along with models of phenotypic evolution, we show that snake venom exhibits the macroevolutionary dynamics expected of key innovations. Namely, all toxin families undergo shifts in their rates of evolution, likely in response to changes in adaptive optima. Furthermore, we show that rapid-pulsed evolution modelled as a Lévy process better fits snake venom evolution than conventional early burst or Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models. While our results support the idea of snake venom being a key innovation, the innovation of venom chemistry lacks clear mechanisms that would lead to reproductive isolation and thus adaptive radiation. Therefore, the extent to which venom directly influences the diversification process is still a matter of contention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agneesh Barua
- Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa-ken 904-0495, Japan
| | - Alexander S. Mikheyev
- Ecology and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa-ken 904-0495, Japan
- Evolutionary genomics group, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
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42
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Niermann CN, Tate TG, Suto AL, Barajas R, White HA, Guswiler OD, Secor SM, Rowe AH, Rowe MP. Defensive Venoms: Is Pain Sufficient for Predator Deterrence? Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12040260. [PMID: 32316477 PMCID: PMC7232307 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12040260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain, though unpleasant, is adaptive in calling an animal’s attention to potential tissue damage. A long list of animals representing diverse taxa possess venom-mediated, pain-inducing bites or stings that work by co-opting the pain-sensing pathways of potential enemies. Typically, such venoms include toxins that cause tissue damage or disrupt neuronal activity, rendering painful stings honest indicators of harm. But could pain alone be sufficient for deterring a hungry predator? Some venomologists have argued “no”; predators, in the absence of injury, would “see through” the bluff of a painful but otherwise benign sting or bite. Because most algogenic venoms are also toxic (although not vice versa), it has been difficult to disentangle the relative contributions of each component to predator deterrence. Southern grasshopper mice (Onychomys torridus) are voracious predators of arthropods, feeding on a diversity of scorpion species whose stings vary in painfulness, including painful Arizona bark scorpions (Centruroides sculpturatus) and essentially painless stripe-tailed scorpions (Paravaejovis spinigerus). Moreover, southern grasshopper mice have evolved resistance to the lethal toxins in bark scorpion venom, rendering a sting from these scorpions painful but harmless. Results from a series of laboratory experiments demonstrate that painful stings matter. Grasshopper mice preferred to prey on stripe-tailed scorpions rather than bark scorpions when both species could sting; the preference disappeared when each species had their stingers blocked. A painful sting therefore appears necessary for a scorpion to deter a hungry grasshopper mouse, but it may not always be sufficient: after first attacking and consuming a painless stripe-tailed scorpion, many grasshopper mice went on to attack, kill, and eat a bark scorpion even when the scorpion was capable of stinging. Defensive venoms that result in tissue damage or neurological dysfunction may, thus, be required to condition greater aversion than venoms causing pain alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal N. Niermann
- Department of Biology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77340, USA; (C.N.N.); (T.G.T.)
| | - Travis G. Tate
- Department of Biology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77340, USA; (C.N.N.); (T.G.T.)
| | - Amber L. Suto
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.L.S.); (O.D.G.)
| | - Rolando Barajas
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (R.B.); (H.A.W.)
| | - Hope A. White
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (R.B.); (H.A.W.)
| | - Olivia D. Guswiler
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.L.S.); (O.D.G.)
| | - Stephen M. Secor
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA;
| | - Ashlee H. Rowe
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA;
| | - Matthew P. Rowe
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-405-325-6539
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43
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Ward-Smith H, Arbuckle K, Naude A, Wüster W. Fangs for the Memories? A Survey of Pain in Snakebite Patients Does Not Support a Strong Role for Defense in the Evolution of Snake Venom Composition. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:E201. [PMID: 32235759 PMCID: PMC7150919 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12030201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals use venoms for multiple purposes, most prominently for prey acquisition and self-defense. In snakes, venom composition often evolves as a result of selection for optimization for local diet. However, whether selection for a defensive function has also played a role in driving the evolution of venom composition has remained largely unstudied. Here, we use an online survey of snakebite victims to test a key prediction of a defensive function, that envenoming should result in the rapid onset of severe pain. From the analysis of 584 snakebite reports, involving 192 species of venomous snake, we find that the vast majority of bites do not result in severe early pain. Phylogenetic comparative analysis shows that where early pain after a bite evolves, it is often lost rapidly. Our results, therefore, do not support the hypothesis that natural selection for antipredator defense played an important role in the origin of venom or front-fanged delivery systems in general, although there may be intriguing exceptions to this rule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Ward-Smith
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK;
| | - Kevin Arbuckle
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK;
| | - Arno Naude
- Snakebite Assist, Pretoria ZA-0001, South Africa;
| | - Wolfgang Wüster
- Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK;
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44
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Zancolli G, Calvete JJ, Cardwell MD, Greene HW, Hayes WK, Hegarty MJ, Herrmann HW, Holycross AT, Lannutti DI, Mulley JF, Sanz L, Travis ZD, Whorley JR, Wüster CE, Wüster W. When one phenotype is not enough: divergent evolutionary trajectories govern venom variation in a widespread rattlesnake species. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182735. [PMID: 30862287 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the origin and maintenance of phenotypic variation, particularly across a continuous spatial distribution, represents a key challenge in evolutionary biology. For this, animal venoms represent ideal study systems: they are complex, variable, yet easily quantifiable molecular phenotypes with a clear function. Rattlesnakes display tremendous variation in their venom composition, mostly through strongly dichotomous venom strategies, which may even coexist within a single species. Here, through dense, widespread population-level sampling of the Mojave rattlesnake, Crotalus scutulatus, we show that genomic structural variation at multiple loci underlies extreme geographical variation in venom composition, which is maintained despite extensive gene flow. Unexpectedly, neither diet composition nor neutral population structure explain venom variation. Instead, venom divergence is strongly correlated with environmental conditions. Individual toxin genes correlate with distinct environmental factors, suggesting that different selective pressures can act on individual loci independently of their co-expression patterns or genomic proximity. Our results challenge common assumptions about diet composition as the key selective driver of snake venom evolution and emphasize how the interplay between genomic architecture and local-scale spatial heterogeneity in selective pressures may facilitate the retention of adaptive functional polymorphisms across a continuous space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Zancolli
- 1 Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University , Bangor LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Juan J Calvete
- 2 Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC , Jaume Roig 11, Valencia 46010 , Spain
| | - Michael D Cardwell
- 3 Department of Biology, San Diego State University , San Diego, CA 92182 , USA
| | - Harry W Greene
- 4 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University , Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 , USA
| | - William K Hayes
- 5 Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University , Loma Linda, CA 92350 , USA
| | - Matthew J Hegarty
- 6 Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University , Aberystwyth SY23 3EE , UK
| | - Hans-Werner Herrmann
- 7 Wildlife Conservation and Management, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona , 1064 East Lowell Street (ENR2), Tucson, AZ 85721 , USA
| | - Andrew T Holycross
- 8 Natural History Collections, Arizona State University , 734 W. Alameda Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282 , USA
| | - Dominic I Lannutti
- 9 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso , 500 W. University, El Paso, TX 79968 , USA
| | - John F Mulley
- 1 Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University , Bangor LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Libia Sanz
- 2 Evolutionary and Translational Venomics Laboratory, CSIC , Jaume Roig 11, Valencia 46010 , Spain
| | - Zachary D Travis
- 5 Department of Earth and Biological Sciences, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University , Loma Linda, CA 92350 , USA
| | - Joshua R Whorley
- 10 Seattle Central College, Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Division , 1701 Broadway Ave. E., Seattle, WA 98122 , USA
| | - Catharine E Wüster
- 1 Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University , Bangor LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Wolfgang Wüster
- 1 Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University , Bangor LL57 2UW , UK
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45
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Kitahara MV, Jaimes‐Becerra A, Gamero‐Mora E, Padilla G, Doonan LB, Ward M, Marques AC, Morandini AC, Long PF. Reciprocal transplantation of the heterotrophic coral Tubastraea coccinea (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae) between distinct habitats did not alter its venom toxin composition. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1794-1803. [PMID: 32128117 PMCID: PMC7042732 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tubastraea coccinea is an azooxanthellate coral species recorded in the Indian and Atlantic oceans and is presently widespread in the southwestern Atlantic with an alien status for Brazil. T. coccinea outcompete other native coral species by using a varied repertoire of biological traits. For example, T. coccinea has evolved potent venom capable of immobilizing and digesting zooplankton prey. Diversification and modification of venom toxins can provide potential adaptive benefits to individual fitness, yet acquired alteration of venom composition in cnidarians is poorly understood as the adaptive flexibility affecting toxin composition in these ancient lineages has been largely ignored. We used quantitative high-throughput proteomics to detect changes in toxin expression in clonal fragments of specimens collected and interchanged from two environmentally distinct and geographically separate study sites. Unexpectedly, despite global changes in protein expression, there were no changes in the composition and abundance of toxins from coral fragments recovered from either site, and following clonal transplantation between sites. There were also no apparent changes to the cnidome (cnidae) and gross skeletal or soft tissue morphologies of the specimens. These results suggest that the conserved toxin complexity of T. coccinea co-evolved with innovation of the venom delivery system, and its morphological development and phenotypic expression are not modulated by habitat pressures over short periods of time. The adaptive response of the venom trait to specific predatory regimes, however, necessitates further consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo V. Kitahara
- Departamento de Ciências do MarUniversidade Federal de São PauloSantosBrazil
- Centro de Biologia Marinha (CEBIMar)Universidade de São PauloSão SebastiãoBrazil
| | - Adrian Jaimes‐Becerra
- Departamento de ZoologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Edgar Gamero‐Mora
- Departamento de ZoologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Gabriel Padilla
- Departmento de MicrobiologiaInstituto de Ciências BiomédicasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Liam B. Doonan
- School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical SciencesFaculty of Life Sciences & MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Antonio C. Marques
- Departamento de ZoologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - André C. Morandini
- Departamento de ZoologiaInstituto de BiociênciasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Paul F. Long
- School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical SciencesFaculty of Life Sciences & MedicineKing's College LondonLondonUK
- Faculdade de Ciências FarmacêuticasUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
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46
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Lyons K, Dugon MM, Healy K. Diet Breadth Mediates the Prey Specificity of Venom Potency in Snakes. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12020074. [PMID: 31979380 PMCID: PMC7076792 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12020074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms are best known for their ability to incapacitate prey. In predatory groups, venom potency is predicted to reflect ecological and evolutionary drivers relating to diet. While venoms have been found to have preyspecific potencies, the role of diet breadth on venom potencies has yet to be tested at large macroecological scales. Here, using a comparative analysis of 100 snake species, we show that the evolution of prey-specific venom potencies is contingent on the breadth of a species' diet. We find that while snake venom is more potent when tested on species closely related to natural prey items, we only find this prey-specific pattern in species with taxonomically narrow diets. While we find that the taxonomic diversity of a snakes' diet mediates the prey specificity of its venom, the species richness of its diet was not found to affect these prey-specific potency patterns. This indicates that the physiological diversity of a species' diet is an important driver of the evolution of generalist venom potencies. These findings suggest that the venoms of species with taxonomically diverse diets may be better suited to incapacitating novel prey species and hence play an important role for species within changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Lyons
- Correspondence: (K.L.); (K.H.); Tel.: +353-91-493744 (K.H.)
| | | | - Kevin Healy
- Correspondence: (K.L.); (K.H.); Tel.: +353-91-493744 (K.H.)
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Barkan NP, Chevalier M, Pradervand JN, Guisan A. Alteration of Bumblebee Venom Composition toward Higher Elevation. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 12:toxins12010004. [PMID: 31861682 PMCID: PMC7020474 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Venomous animals use venom, a complex biofluid composed of unique mixtures of proteins and peptides, for either predation or defense. Bumblebees, which occur in various habitats due to their unique thermoregulatory properties, mainly use venom for defense. Herein, we conducted an exploratory analysis of the venom composition of a bumblebee species (Bombus pascuorum) along an elevation gradient in the western Swiss Alps using shot-gun proteomic approaches to assess whether their defense mechanism varies along the gradient. The gradient was characterized by high temperatures and low humidity at low elevations and low temperatures and high humidity at high elevations. Venom composition is changing along the elevation gradient, with proteomic variation in the abundances of pain-inducing and allergenic proteins. In particular, the abundance of phospholipase A2-like, the main component of bumblebee venom, gradually decreases toward higher elevation (lower temperature), suggesting venom alteration and thus a decrease in bumblebee defense towards harsher environments. Larger datasets may complement this study to validate the observed novel trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nezahat Pınar Barkan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland; (N.P.B.); (M.C.)
| | - Mathieu Chevalier
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland; (N.P.B.); (M.C.)
| | - Jean-Nicolas Pradervand
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Valais Field Station, Rue du Rhône 11, CH-1950 Sion, Switzerland;
| | - Antoine Guisan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Biophore, Lausanne, Switzerland; (N.P.B.); (M.C.)
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Géopolis, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-(0)21-692-42-54
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48
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Davies EL, Arbuckle K. Coevolution of Snake Venom Toxic Activities and Diet: Evidence that Ecological Generalism Favours Toxicological Diversity. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E711. [PMID: 31817769 PMCID: PMC6950196 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11120711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Snake venom evolution is typically considered to be predominantly driven by diet-related selection pressures. Most evidence for this is based on lethality to prey and non-prey species and on the identification of prey specific toxins. Since the broad toxicological activities (e.g., neurotoxicity, coagulotoxicity, etc.) sit at the interface between molecular toxinology and lethality, these classes of activity may act as a key mediator in coevolutionary interactions between snakes and their prey. Indeed, some recent work has suggested that variation in these functional activities may be related to diet as well, but previous studies have been limited in geographic and/or taxonomic scope. In this paper, we take a phylogenetic comparative approach to investigate relationships between diet and toxicological activity classes on a global scale across caenophidian snakes, using the clinically oriented database at toxinology.com. We generally find little support for specific prey types selecting for particular toxicological effects except that reptile-feeders are more likely to be neurotoxic. We find some support for endothermic prey (with higher metabolic rates) influencing toxic activities, but differently from previous suggestions in the literature. More broadly, we find strong support for a general effect of increased diversity of prey on the diversity of toxicological effects of snake venom. Hence, we provide evidence that selection pressures on the toxicological activities of snake venom has largely been driven by prey diversity rather than specific types of prey. These results complement and extend previous work to suggest that specific matching of venom characteristics to prey may occur at the molecular level and translate into venom lethality, but the functional link between those two is not constrained to a particular toxicological route.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin Arbuckle
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK;
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Cavigliasso F, Mathé-Hubert H, Kremmer L, Rebuf C, Gatti JL, Malausa T, Colinet D, Poirié M. Rapid and Differential Evolution of the Venom Composition of a Parasitoid Wasp Depending on the Host Strain. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E629. [PMID: 31671900 PMCID: PMC6891688 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11110629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitoid wasps rely primarily on venom to suppress the immune response and regulate the physiology of their host. Intraspecific variability of venom protein composition has been documented in some species, but its evolutionary potential is poorly understood. We performed an experimental evolution initiated with the crosses of two lines of Leptopilinaboulardi of different venom composition to generate variability and create new combinations of venom factors. The offspring were maintained for 10 generations on two strains of Drosophila melanogaster differing in resistance/susceptibility to the parental parasitoid lines. The venom composition of individuals was characterized by a semi-automatic analysis of 1D SDS-PAGE electrophoresis protein profiles whose accuracy was checked by Western blot analysis of well-characterized venom proteins. Results made evident a rapid and differential evolution of the venom composition on both hosts and showed that the proteins beneficial on one host can be costly on the other. Overall, we demonstrated the capacity of rapid evolution of the venom composition in parasitoid wasps, important regulators of arthropod populations, suggesting a potential for adaptation to new hosts. Our approach also proved relevant in identifying, among the diversity of venom proteins, those possibly involved in parasitism success and whose role deserves to be deepened.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Cavigliasso
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRA, CNRS, ISA, 06 903 Sophia Antipolis, France.
| | - Hugo Mathé-Hubert
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRA, CNRS, ISA, 06 903 Sophia Antipolis, France.
| | - Laurent Kremmer
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRA, CNRS, ISA, 06 903 Sophia Antipolis, France.
| | - Christian Rebuf
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRA, CNRS, ISA, 06 903 Sophia Antipolis, France.
| | - Jean-Luc Gatti
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRA, CNRS, ISA, 06 903 Sophia Antipolis, France.
| | - Thibaut Malausa
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRA, CNRS, ISA, 06 903 Sophia Antipolis, France.
| | - Dominique Colinet
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRA, CNRS, ISA, 06 903 Sophia Antipolis, France.
| | - Marylène Poirié
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRA, CNRS, ISA, 06 903 Sophia Antipolis, France.
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50
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Román-Domínguez L, Neri-Castro E, Vázquez López H, García-Osorio B, Archundia IG, Ortiz-Medina JA, Petricevich VL, Alagón A, Bénard-Valle M. Biochemical and immunochemical characterization of venoms from snakes of the genus Agkistrodon. Toxicon X 2019; 4:100013. [PMID: 32550570 PMCID: PMC7285990 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2019.100013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present work, venoms from five species of the genus Agkistrodon were evaluated in terms of their enzymatic (Phospholipase A2 and caseinolytic) and biological (edema forming, hemorrhagic, procoagulant and lethal) effects. Horses were used to produce monovalent hyperimmune sera against each of three venoms (A. bilineatus, A. contortrix and A. piscivorus) and their neutralizing potency, expressed as Median Effective Dose (ED50), was determined against the venoms of all five species. In terms of PLA2 and caseinolytic activities, all venoms are extremely homogeneous. PLA2 activity is high, while caseinolytic activity is low when in contrast with that of the rattlesnake Crotalus simus. On the other hand, biological activities showed marked interspecific differences, particularly between the species from Mexico and those from the United States. Mexican species displayed higher edema-forming, hemorrhagic and lethal effects than US species, while none of the species studied presented procoagulant activity. All three monovalent hyperimmune sera showed good neutralizing potency against the analyzed venoms. Nonetheless, we observed relevant immunochemical differences among the venoms using ELISA and Western Blot assays. We conclude that the venoms of A. piscivorus (USA) and A. bilineatus would be ideal to use as immunogens for the production of a polyvalent antivenom with good neutralizing potency against the venoms of all the species of the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Román-Domínguez
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Universidad # 2001 Colonia Chamilpa. CP: 62210. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos. Av. Universidad # 2001 Colonia Chamilpa. CP: 62210. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Edgar Neri-Castro
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Universidad # 2001 Colonia Chamilpa. CP: 62210. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Hilda Vázquez López
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Universidad # 2001 Colonia Chamilpa. CP: 62210. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Belem García-Osorio
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Universidad # 2001 Colonia Chamilpa. CP: 62210. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Irving G. Archundia
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Universidad # 2001 Colonia Chamilpa. CP: 62210. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Javier A. Ortiz-Medina
- Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. Km 15.5, Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil. C.P: 97315. Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
- Unidad de Manejo para la Conservación de la Vida Silvestre Tsáab Kaan. Km. 2.8, Carretera Baca-Dzemul, C.P. 97450. Baca, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Vera L. Petricevich
- Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos. Calle Leñeros S/N, Colonia Vista Hermosa. CP: 62290. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Alagón
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Universidad # 2001 Colonia Chamilpa. CP: 62210. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Melisa Bénard-Valle
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Av. Universidad # 2001 Colonia Chamilpa. CP: 62210. Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
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