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Hatakeyama DM, Jorge Tasima L, da Costa Galizio N, Serino-Silva C, Fabri Bittencourt Rodrigues C, Rodrigues Stuginski D, Stefanini Sant’Anna S, Fernandes Grego K, Tashima AK, Nishiduka ES, de Morais-Zani K, Tanaka-Azevedo AM. From birth to adulthood: An analysis of the Brazilian lancehead (Bothrops moojeni) venom at different life stages. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253050. [PMID: 34111213 PMCID: PMC8191990 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Brazilian lancehead (Bothrops moojeni) has a wide distribution in Brazil and represents a serious public health hazard. Previous works reported that the symptoms of snakebites caused by B. moojeni juveniles’ bites were mainly related to coagulation, while those caused by adults’ bites had a more prominent local damage. In this work, we analyzed the venoms of B. moojeni at different life stages to better understand the ontogeny shift in this species. Snakes were grouped by age and sex, and venom pools were formed accordingly. Compositional analyses by one-dimensional electrophoresis (1-DE), chromatography, and mass spectrometry revealed that ontogenetic changes might be mostly related to phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and metalloproteases. Regarding the venoms functional aspect, proteolytic, L-amino acid oxidase, PLA2, and coagulant in vitro activities were assayed, but only the first and the last ones showed age-related changes, with the venom of snakes up to 1 year-old displaying lower proteolytic and higher coagulant activities, while those from 2 years-old onward presented the opposite relation. The venoms of 3 years-old snakes were exceptions to the compositional and functional pattern of adults as both venoms presented profiles similar to neonates. Sex-related differences were observed in specific groups and were not age-related. In vivo experiments (median lethal dose and hemorrhagic activity) were statistically similar between neonates and adults, however we verified that the adult venom killed mice faster comparing to the neonates. All venoms were mostly recognized by the antibothropic serum and displayed similar profiles to 1-DE in western blotting. In conclusion, the Brazilian lancehead venom showed ontogenetic shift in its composition and activities. Furthermore, this change occurred in snakes from 1 to 2 years-old, and interestingly the venom pools from 3 years-old snakes had particular characteristics, which highlights the importance of comprehensive studies to better understand venom variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Miki Hatakeyama
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lídia Jorge Tasima
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nathália da Costa Galizio
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Serino-Silva
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Fabri Bittencourt Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Lima EOVD, Tasima LJ, Hatakeyama DM, Serino-Silva C, Rodrigues CFB, Galizio NDC, Chiarelli T, Nishiduka ES, Rocha MMTD, Sant'Anna SS, Grego KF, Tashima AK, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Morais-Zani KD. Snake venom color and L-amino acid oxidase: An evidence of long-term captive Crotalus durissus terrificus venom plasticity. Toxicon 2021; 193:73-83. [PMID: 33515573 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The venom color variation of Crotalus durissus terrificus (Cdt) is attributed to the presence of the toxin L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO). During the venom milking routine of Instituto Butantan, we have noticed that most venoms of captive Cdt specimens show a yellowish color, while most venoms of wild specimens are white. Here we describe a comparative analysis of long-term captive (LTC) and recently wild-caught (RWC) Cdt, focusing on LAAO variation. For the identification of LAAO in individual venoms, four different approaches were employed: evaluation of the enzymatic activity, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, and ELISA. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis was performed using pooled samples. Although some variation among these methodologies was observed, it was possible to notice that the presence of LAAO was significantly higher in the venom of LTC individuals. LAAO was identified in 60-80% LTC specimens and in only 10-12% of RWC specimens. Furthermore, this enzyme accounts for 5.6% of total venom proteins of LTC Cdt pooled venom, while it corresponds to only 0.7% of RWC Cdt pooled venom. These findings strongly suggest that captive maintenance increases the expression of LAAO in Cdt venom.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lídia Jorge Tasima
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil; Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela Miki Hatakeyama
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil; Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Serino-Silva
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil; Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Fabri Bittencourt Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil; Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nathália da Costa Galizio
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil; Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tassia Chiarelli
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil; Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil; Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Hatakeyama DM, Tasima LJ, Bravo-Tobar CA, Serino-Silva C, Tashima AK, Rodrigues CFB, Aguiar WDS, Galizio NDC, de Lima EOV, Kavazoi VK, Gutierrez-Marín JD, de Farias IB, Sant'Anna SS, Grego KF, de Morais-Zani K, Tanaka-Azevedo AM. Venom complexity of Bothrops atrox (common lancehead) siblings. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2020; 26:e20200018. [PMID: 33101399 PMCID: PMC7553035 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Variability in snake venoms is a well-studied phenomenon. However, sex-based variation of Bothrops atrox snake venom using siblings is poorly investigated. Bothrops atrox is responsible for the majority of snakebite accidents in the Brazilian Amazon region. Differences in the venom composition of Bothrops genus have been linked to several factors such as ontogeny, geographical distribution, prey preferences and sex. Thus, in the current study, venom samples of Bothrops atrox male and female siblings were analyzed in order to compare their biochemical and biological characteristics. Methods: Venoms were collected from five females and four males born from a snake captured from the wild in São Bento (Maranhão, Brazil), and kept in the Laboratory of Herpetology of Butantan Intitute. The venoms were analyzed individually and as a pool of each gender. The assays consisted in protein quantification, 1-DE, mass spectrometry, proteolytic, phospholipase A2, L-amino acid oxidase activities, minimum coagulant dose upon plasma, minimum hemorrhagic dose and lethal dose 50%. Results: Electrophoretic profiles of male’s and female’s venom pools were quite similar, with minor sex-based variation. Male venom showed higher LAAO, PLA2 and hemorrhagic activities, while female venom showed higher coagulant activity. On the other hand, the proteolytic activities did not show statistical differences between pools, although some individual variations were observed. Meanwhile, proteomic profile revealed 112 different protein compounds; of which 105 were common proteins of female’s and male’s venom pools and seven were unique to females. Despite individual variations, lethality of both pools showed similar values. Conclusion: Although differences between female and male venoms were observed, our results show that individual variations are significant even between siblings, highlighting that biological activities of venoms and its composition are influenced by other factors beyond gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Miki Hatakeyama
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Lídia Jorge Tasima
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Cesar Adolfo Bravo-Tobar
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (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 (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Keiji Tashima
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Caroline Fabri Bittencourt Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (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 (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 (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Victor Koiti Kavazoi
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juan David Gutierrez-Marín
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Iasmim Baptista de Farias
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
- Laboratory of Herpetology, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Interinstitutional Graduate Program in Biotechnology (IPT, IBU and USP), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Machado Braga JR, de Morais-Zani K, Pereira DDS, Sant'Anna SS, da Costa Galizio N, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, Gomes Vilarinho AR, Rodrigues JL, Teixeira da Rocha MM. Sexual and ontogenetic variation of Bothrops leucurus venom. Toxicon 2020; 184:127-135. [PMID: 32553734 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Various factors, such as geographical origin, climate, sex, age and diet can influence the composition and pathophysiological activities of snake venoms. In this study, we examined the sexual and ontogenetic variations in the venom of Bothrops leucurus, a pitviper responsible for more than 80% of the snakebites in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazilian. The venoms of 31 snakes were pooled according to sex and age (young, adult and old) and screened by SDS-PAGE (in reducing and non-reducing conditions), reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), gelatin zymography, and immunoblotting with therapeutic bothropic antivenom (BAV) from the Instituto Butantan. The electrophoretic and chromatographic profiles showed intraspecific ontogenetic variation, whereas sexual variations were less evident. All venoms showed gelatinolytic activity associated with 50-75 kDa protein bands. In addition, all venoms, regardless of the snakes' sex and age, cross-reacted to similar extents with BAV. Our findings show that B. leucurus venom changes during ontogenetic development and demonstrate sexual differences in its composition, indicating differences in biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Ramos Machado Braga
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas - Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo-Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas-Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diego Dos Santos Pereira
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Ambientais e Biológicas - Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil
| | | | - Nathália da Costa Galizio
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo-Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas-Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo-Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas-Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - José Lucca Rodrigues
- Toxinas de Interesse em Saúde, Casa Afrânio do Amaral, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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da Costa Galizio N, da Silva Aguiar W, Serino-Silva C, Rodrigues CFB, Stuginski DR, da Rocha MMT, de Oliveira RB, Sant’Anna SS, Grego KF, Tanaka-Azevedo AM, de Morais-Zani K. B. neuwiedi complex: What the venom of these snake species have in common? Compositional and functional investigation of venoms from Bothrops neuwiedi complex. Toxicon 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.12.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Aguiar WDS, Galizio NDC, Serino-Silva C, Sant’Anna SS, Grego KF, Tashima AK, Nishiduka ES, de Morais-Zani K, Tanaka-Azevedo AM. Comparative compositional and functional analyses of Bothrops moojeni specimens reveal several individual variations. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222206. [PMID: 31513632 PMCID: PMC6742229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Snake venoms are complex protein mixtures with different biological activities that can act in both their preys and human victims. Many of these proteins play a role in prey capture and in the digestive process of these animals. It is known that some snakes are resistant to the toxicity of their own venom by mechanisms not yet fully elucidated. However, it was observed in the Laboratory of Herpetology of Instituto Butantan that some Bothrops moojeni individuals injured by the same snake species showed mortalities caused by envenoming effects. This study analyzed the biochemical composition of 13 venom and plasma samples from Bothrops moojeni specimens to assess differences in their protein composition. Application of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed distinct venom protein profiles, but very homogeneous plasma profiles. Western Blotting (WB) was performed with plasma samples, which were submitted to incubation with the respective venom. Some individuals showed an immunorecognized band zone around 25 kDa, indicating interaction between the same individual plasma and venom proteins. Crossed-WB assay using non-self-plasma and venom showed that this variability is due to venom protein composition instead of plasma composition. These venoms presented higher caseinolytic, collagenolytic and coagulant activities than the venoms without these regions recognized by WB. Mass spectrometry analyses performed on two individuals revealed that these individuals present, in addition to higher protein concentrations, other exclusive proteins in their composition. When these same two samples were tested in vivo, the results also showed higher lethality in these venoms, but lower hemorrhagic activity than in the venoms without these regions recognized by WB. In conclusion, some Bothrops moojeni specimens differ in venom composition, which may have implications in envenomation. Moreover, the high individual venom variability found in this species demonstrates the importance to work with individual analyses in studies involving intraspecific venom variability and venom evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weslei da Silva Aguiar
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Nathália da Costa Galizio
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Caroline Serino-Silva
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
| | | | | | | | | | - Karen de Morais-Zani
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
- Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brasil
- * E-mail:
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