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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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Lima ER, Freire RP, Suzuki MF, Oliveira JE, Yosidaki VL, Peroni CN, Sevilhano T, Zorzeto M, Torati LS, Soares CRJ, Lima IDDM, Kronenberger T, Maltarollo VG, Bartolini P. Isolation and Characterization of the Arapaima gigas Growth Hormone (ag-GH) cDNA and Three-Dimensional Modeling of This Hormone in Comparison with the Human Hormone (hGH). Biomolecules 2023; 13:158. [PMID: 36671542 PMCID: PMC9855374 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous work, the common gonadotrophic hormone α-subunit (ag-GTHα), the ag-FSH β- and ag-LH β-subunit cDNAs, were isolated and characterized by our research group from A. gigas pituitaries, while a preliminary synthesis of ag-FSH was also carried out in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. In the present work, the cDNA sequence encoding the ag-growth hormone (ag-GH) has also been isolated from the same giant Arapaimidae Amazonian fish. The ag-GH consists of 208 amino acids with a putative 23 amino acid signal peptide and a 185 amino acid mature peptide. The highest identity, based on the amino acid sequences, was found with the Elopiformes (82.0%), followed by Anguilliformes (79.7%) and Acipenseriformes (74.5%). The identity with the corresponding human GH (hGH) amino acid sequence is remarkable (44.8%), and the two disulfide bonds present in both sequences were perfectly conserved. Three-dimensional (3D) models of ag-GH, in comparison with hGH, were generated using the threading modeling method followed by molecular dynamics. Our simulations suggest that the two proteins have similar structural properties without major conformational changes under the simulated conditions, even though they are separated from each other by a >100 Myr evolutionary period (1 Myr = 1 million years). The sequence found will be used for the biotechnological synthesis of ag-GH while the ag-GH cDNA obtained will be utilized for preliminary Gene Therapy studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Rosa Lima
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Renan Passos Freire
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Miriam Fussae Suzuki
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - João Ezequiel Oliveira
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Luna Yosidaki
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Cibele Nunes Peroni
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Thaís Sevilhano
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Moisés Zorzeto
- Piscicultura Raça, Canabrava do Norte 78658-000, MT, Brazil
| | - Lucas Simon Torati
- EMBRAPA Pesca e Aquicultura, Loteamento Água Fria, Palmas 77008-900, TO, Brazil
| | - Carlos Roberto Jorge Soares
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Igor Daniel de Miranda Lima
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Thales Kronenberger
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry and Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Oncology and Pneumonology, Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, DE, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Vinicius Gonçalves Maltarollo
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Paolo Bartolini
- Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN), Cidade Universitária, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
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Deshwal A, Phan P, Datta J, Kannan R, Thallapuranam SK. A Meta-Analysis of the Protein Components in Rattlesnake Venom. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13060372. [PMID: 34071038 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13060372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The specificity and potency of venom components give them a unique advantage in developing various pharmaceutical drugs. Though venom is a cocktail of proteins, rarely are the synergy and association between various venom components studied. Understanding the relationship between various components of venom is critical in medical research. Using meta-analysis, we observed underlying patterns and associations in the appearance of the toxin families. For Crotalus, Dis has the most associations with the following toxins: PDE; BPP; CRL; CRiSP; LAAO; SVMP P-I and LAAO; SVMP P-III and LAAO. In Sistrurus venom, CTL and NGF have the most associations. These associations can predict the presence of proteins in novel venom and understand synergies between venom components for enhanced bioactivity. Using this approach, the need to revisit the classification of proteins as major components or minor components is highlighted. The revised classification of venom components is based on ubiquity, bioactivity, the number of associations, and synergies. The revised classification can be expected to trigger increased research on venom components, such as NGF, which have high biomedical significance. Using hierarchical clustering, we observed that the genera's venom compositions were similar, based on functional characteristics rather than phylogenetic relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anant Deshwal
- Division of Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Phuc Phan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Jyotishka Datta
- Department of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Ragupathy Kannan
- Department of Biology, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Fort Smith, AR 72913, USA
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Structural, enzymatic and pharmacological profiles of AplTX-II - A basic sPLA 2 (D49) isolated from the Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma snake venom. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 175:572-585. [PMID: 33529631 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.01.187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A basic sPLA2 (D49) from the venom of snake Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma (AplTX-II) was isolated, purified and characterized. We determined the enzymatic and pharmacological profiles of this toxin. AplTX-II was isolated with a high level of purity through reverse phase chromatography and molecular exclusion. The enzyme showed pI 9.48 and molecular weight of 14,003 Da. The enzymatic activity of the AplTX-II depended on Ca2+ pH and temperature. The comparison of the primary structure with other sPLA2s revealed that AplTX-II presented all the structural reasons expected for a basic sPLA2s. Additionally, we have resolved its structure with the docked synthetic substrate NOBA (4-nitro-3-octanoyloxy benzoic acid) by homology modeling, and performed MD simulations with explicit solvent. Structural similarities were found between the enzyme's modeled structure and other snake sPLA2 X-Ray structures, available in the PDB database. NOBA and active-site water molecules spontaneously adopted stable positions and established interactions in full agreement with the reaction mechanism, proposed for the physiological substrate, suggesting that NOBA hydrolysis is an excellent model to study phospholipid hydrolysis.
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Plenge-Tellechea LF, Acosta-Lara S, Rodrigo-García J, Álvarez-Parrilla E, Meléndez-Martínez D, Gatica-Colima A, Sierra-Fonseca JA. Cytoprotective effects of creosote bush ( Larrea tridentata) and Southern live oak ( Quercus virginiana) extracts against toxicity induced by venom of the black-tailed rattlesnake ( Crotalus ornatus). Drug Chem Toxicol 2020; 45:1698-1706. [PMID: 33297789 DOI: 10.1080/01480545.2020.1856864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The venom of Crotalus ornatus (vCo) poses a threat to human health, as it contains a mixture of toxins that can cause cytotoxic, necrotic, and hemolytic effects. The present study assessed methanolic and acetone extracts from leaves and flowers of Larrea tridentata, as well as the bark of Quercus virginiana as potential suppressors of the toxic effects of vCo in vitro. The content of total phenols, flavonoids, and tannins of the plant extracts were quantified for the suppression of vCo cytotoxicity in two cell culture models, human lymphocytes and porcine aortic endothelial (PAE) cells. Extracts from Q. virginiana displayed a greater concentration of total phenols, flavonoids, and tannins. Co-incubation of lymphocytes and PAE cells with fixed concentrations of vCo and plant extracts resulted in decreased vCo-induced cytotoxicity. A 24-hour co-incubation of lymphocytes with vCo (2.36 ± 0.17 µg/mL) and 0.5 µg/mL of methanolic leaf extract from L. tridentata (LLM) significantly suppressed the venom-induced cytotoxicity by 37.33 ± 8.33%. Similarly, the LLM extract (4 µg/mL) caused a significant decrease in vCo cytotoxicity after 24 hours in PAE cells. In contrast, while the acetone extract of Q. virginiana bark (QA) suppressed cytotoxicity by 29.20 ± 3.51% (p < 0.001) in lymphocytes, it failed to protect PAE cells against vCo after 24 hours. In PAE cells, a shorter 4-hour co-incubation showed significant suppression of cytotoxicity with both extracts. Our results collectively suggest that LLM and QA possess cytoprotective properties against the in vitro toxic effects of vCo, and thus establish extracts from these plants as potential therapeutic interventions against Crotalus envenomation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergio Acosta-Lara
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - Joaquín Rodrigo-García
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México
| | - Emilio Álvarez-Parrilla
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - David Meléndez-Martínez
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - Ana Gatica-Colima
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
| | - Jorge A Sierra-Fonseca
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, México
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Almeida JR, Palacios ALV, Patiño RSP, Mendes B, Teixeira CAS, Gomes P, da Silva SL. Harnessing snake venom phospholipases A 2 to novel approaches for overcoming antibiotic resistance. Drug Dev Res 2018; 80:68-85. [PMID: 30255943 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic resistance drives an essential race against time to reveal new molecular structures capable of addressing this alarming global health problem. Snake venoms are natural catalogs of multifunctional toxins and privileged frameworks, which serve as potential templates for the inspiration of novel treatment strategies for combating antibiotic resistant bacteria. Phospholipases A2 (PLA2 s) are one of the main classes of antibacterial biomolecules, with recognized therapeutic value, found in these valuable secretions. Recently, a number of biomimetic oligopeptides based on small fragments of primary structure from PLA2 toxins has emerged as a meaningful opportunity to overcome multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Thus, this review will highlight the biochemical and structural properties of antibacterial PLA2 s and peptides thereof, as well as their possible molecular mechanisms of action and key roles in development of effective therapeutic strategies. Chemical strategies possibly useful to convert antibacterial peptides from PLA2 s to efficient drugs will be equally addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Bruno Mendes
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Cátia A S Teixeira
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Saulo L da Silva
- Facultad de Ciencias Química, Universidad de Cuenca - Cuenca/Azuay - Ecuador
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A Midgut Digestive Phospholipase A 2 in Larval Mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus. Enzyme Res 2018; 2018:9703413. [PMID: 29862070 PMCID: PMC5976925 DOI: 10.1155/2018/9703413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is a secretory digestive enzyme that hydrolyzes ester bond at sn-2 position of dietary phospholipids, creating free fatty acid and lysophospholipid. The free fatty acids (arachidonic acid) are absorbed into midgut cells. Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus digestive PLA2 was characterized using a microplate PLA2 assay. The enzyme showed substantial activities at 6 and 8 μg/μl of protein concentration with optimal activity at 20 and 25 μg/μl of substrate concentration in Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus, respectively. PLA2 activity from both mosquitoes increased in a linear function up to 1 hour of the reaction time. Both enzymes were sensitive to pH and temperature. PLA2 showed higher enzyme activities in pH 8.0 and pH 9.0 from Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus, respectively, at 40°C of incubation. The PLA2 activity decreased in the presence of 5 mM (Aedes albopictus) and 0.5 mM (Culex quinquefasciatus) site specific PLA2 inhibitor, oleyloxyethylphosphorylcholine. Based on the migration pattern of the partially purified PLA2 on SDS-PAGE, the protein mass of PLA2 is approximately 20–25 kDa for both mosquitoes. The information on PLA2 properties derived from this study may facilitate in devising mosquitoes control strategies especially in the development of inhibitors targeting the enzyme active site.
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Sevilhano T, de Carvalho RF, Oliveira NADJ, Oliveira JE, Maltarollo VG, Trossini G, Garcez R, Bartolini P. Molecular cloning and characterization of pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone β-subunit cDNAs. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183545. [PMID: 28846736 PMCID: PMC5573580 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The common gonadotrophic hormone α-subunit (GTHα) has been previously isolated by our research group from A. gigas pituitaries; in the present work the cDNA sequences encoding FSHβ and LHβ subunits have also been isolated from the same species of fish. The FSH β-subunit consists of 126 amino acids with a putative 18 amino acid signal peptide and a 108 amino acid mature peptide, while the LH β-subunit consists of 141 amino acids with a putative 24 amino acid amino acid signal peptide and a 117 amino acid mature peptide. The highest identity, based on the amino acid sequences, was found with the order of Anguilliformes (61%) for FSHβ and of Cypriniformes (76%) for LHβ, followed by Siluriformes, 53% for FSHβ and 75% for LHβ. Interestingly, the identity with the corresponding human amino acid sequences was still remarkable: 45.1% for FSHβ and 51.4% for LHβ. Three dimensional models of ag-FSH and ag-LH, generated by using the crystal structures of h-FSH and h-LH as the respective templates and carried out via comparative modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, suggested the presence of the so-called "seat-belt", favored by a disulfide bond formed between the 3rd and 12th cysteine in both β-subunits. The sequences found will be used for the biotechnological synthesis of A. gigas gonadotrophic hormones (ag-FSH and ag-LH). In a first approach, to ascertain that the cloned transcripts allow the expression of the heterodimeric hormones, ag-FSH has been synthesized in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells, preliminarily purified and characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais Sevilhano
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Gustavo Trossini
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Riviane Garcez
- Genetic Ichthyology Laboratory, Bioscience Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paolo Bartolini
- Biotechnology Department, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Almeida J, Lancellotti M, Soares A, Calderon L, Ramírez D, González W, Marangoni S, Da Silva S. CoaTx-II, a new dimeric Lys49 phospholipase A2 from Crotalus oreganus abyssus snake venom with bactericidal potential: Insights into its structure and biological roles. Toxicon 2016; 120:147-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Almeida J, Resende L, Silva A, Ribeiro R, Stábeli R, Soares A, Calderon L, Marangoni S, Da Silva S. Biochemical and functional studies of ColTx-I, a new myotoxic phospholipase A2 isolated from Crotalus oreganus lutosus (Great Basin rattlesnake) snake venom. Toxicon 2016; 117:1-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Revised: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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