Bothrops moojeni snake venomics: application of toxins of biotechnological interest obtained by omics techniques

• Grant number: 15/26609-7
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): August 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Toxicological Analysis
• Principal Investigator: Suely Vilela
• Grantee: Fernanda Gobbi Amorim
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/23236-4 - Native and recombinant animal toxins: functional, structural and molecular analysis, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/20641-9 - Integration of Omics Approaches to Profile the Venom of the Bothrops moojeni snake: unreavelling new toxins and ontogenic divergences, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

The interest in the elucidation of chemical and functional characteristics of toxins from animal venoms is not only due to its relevance in the envenoming, but also due to their potential therapeutic and biotechnological applications. After the advent of "omics" techniques, such as transcriptomics and proteomics, it was possible to characterize these toxins and also to identify new components with biotechnological interest. However, despite the diversity of physiological actions and pharmacological potential of animal's toxins, there is a discrepancy between the numbers of characterized proteins and the amount of compounds that become a drug effectively. This fact is due to limitations in obtaining toxin in sufficient quantities for detailed structural and functional characterization. Thus, the heterologous expression of proteins is an alternative for obtaining molecules for study of their functional and structural characteristics. Given the broad applicability of omics techniques and heterologous expression, this study aims at the construction of the transcriptome of Bothrops moojeni snake and the heterologous expression of toxins with high potential biotechnological and therapeutic in Pichia pastoris system, among then the serine proteases. Therefore, next-generation sequencing techniques will be used for obtaining the transcriptome of venom gland of the B. moojeni snake. The data obtained will be analyzed with the purpose of providing the overall protein composition from the venom gland. After the evaluation of the venom gland components, the toxins with greater scientific impact, such as proteases, for example serine proteases, will be selected for expression in heterologous system of P. pastoris using recombinant DNA technology. Thus, this project aims not only to understand completely the venom gland and its components, but also to apply of the products obtained by omics techniques through its expression in heterologous system. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GIRIBALDI, JULIEN; KAZANDJIAN, TALINE; AMORIM, FERNANDA G.; WHITELEY, GARETH; WAGSTAFF, SIMON C.; CAZALS, GUILLAUME; ENJALBAL, CHRISTINE; QUINTON, LOIC; CASEWELL, NICHOLAS R.; DUTERTRE, SEBASTIEN. Venomics of the asp viper Vipera aspis aspis from France. JOURNAL OF PROTEOMICS, v. 218, APR 30 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.

AMORIM, FERNANDA G.; MENALDO, DANILO L.; CARONE, SANTE E. I.; SILVA, THIAGO A.; SARTIM, MARCO A.; DE PAUW, EDWIN; QUINTON, LOIC; SAMPAIO, SUELY V. New Insights on Moojase, a Thrombin-Like Serine Protease from Bothrops moojeni Snake Venom. TOXINS, v. 10, n. 12 DEC 2018. Web of Science Citations: 1.

AMORIM, FERNANDA GOBBI; COSTA, TASSIA RAFAELA; BAIWIR, DOMINIQUE; DE PAUW, EDWIN; QUINTON, LOIC; SAMPAIO, SUELY VILELA. Proteopeptidomic, Functional and Immunoreactivity Characterization of Bothrops moojeni Snake Venom: Influence of Snake Gender on Venom Composition. TOXINS, v. 10, n. 5 MAY 2018. Web of Science Citations: 5.

AMORIM, FERNANDA GOBBI; MORANDI-FILHO, ROMUALDO; FUJIMURA, PATRICIA TIEME; UEIRA-VIEIRA, CARLOS; SAMPAIO, SUELY VILELA. New findings from the first transcriptome of the Bothrops moojeni snake venom gland. Toxicon, v. 140, p. 105-117, DEC 15 2017. Web of Science Citations: 8.