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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Colubrid Venom Composition: An -Omics Perspective

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Author(s):
Junqueira-de-Azevedo, Inacio L. M. ; Campos, Pollyanna F. ; Ching, Ana T. C. ; Mackessy, Stephen P.
Total Authors: 4
Document type: Review article
Source: TOXINS; v. 8, n. 8 AUG 2016.
Web of Science Citations: 24
Abstract

Snake venoms have been subjected to increasingly sensitive analyses for well over 100 years, but most research has been restricted to front-fanged snakes, which actually represent a relatively small proportion of extant species of advanced snakes. Because rear-fanged snakes are a diverse and distinct radiation of the advanced snakes, understanding venom composition among ``colubrids{''} is critical to understanding the evolution of venom among snakes. Here we review the state of knowledge concerning rear-fanged snake venom composition, emphasizing those toxins for which protein or transcript sequences are available. We have also added new transcriptome-based data on venoms of three species of rear-fanged snakes. Based on this compilation, it is apparent that several components, including cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRiSPs), C-type lectins (CTLs), CTLs-like proteins and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), are broadly distributed among ``colubrid{''} venoms, while others, notably three-finger toxins (3FTxs), appear nearly restricted to the Colubridae (sensu stricto). Some putative new toxins, such as snake venom matrix metalloproteinases, are in fact present in several colubrid venoms, while others are only transcribed, at lower levels. This work provides insights into the evolution of these toxin classes, but because only a small number of species have been explored, generalizations are still rather limited. It is likely that new venom protein families await discovery, particularly among those species with highly specialized diets. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/07467-1 - CeTICS - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling
Grantee:Hugo Aguirre Armelin
Support type: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
FAPESP's process: 12/00177-5 - Genome sequencing of the snake Bothrops jararaca aiming at characterizing the structure of toxin genes and their regulatory elements
Grantee:Inácio de Loiola Meirelles Junqueira de Azevedo
Support type: Regular Research Grants