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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.)

Coagulotoxicity of Bothrops (Lancehead Pit-Vipers) Venoms from Brazil: Differential Biochemistry and Antivenom Efficacy Resulting from Prey-Driven Venom Variation

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Author(s):
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Sousa, Leijiane F. [1, 2] ; Zdenek, Christina N. [2] ; Dobson, James S. [2] ; op den Brouw, Bianca [2] ; Coimbra, Francisco C. P. [2] ; Gillett, Amber [3] ; Del-Rei, Tiago H. M. [1] ; Chalkidis, Hipocrates de M. [4] ; Sant'Anna, Savio [5] ; Teixeira-da-Rocha, Marisa M. [5] ; Grego, Kathleen [5] ; Travaglia Cardoso, Silvia R. [6] ; Moura da Silva, Ana M. [1] ; Fry, Bryan G. [2]
Total Authors: 14
Affiliation:
[1] Inst Butantan, Lab Imunopatol, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Univ Queensland, Sch Biol Sci, Venom Evolut Lab, St Lucia, Qld 4072 - Australia
[3] Fauna Vet Wildlife Consultancy, Glass House Mt, Qld 4518 - Australia
[4] Unama Ctr Univ Amazonia, Lab Pesquisas Zool, BR-68035110 Belem, Para - Brazil
[5] Inst Butantan, Lab Herpetol, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[6] Inst Butantan, Museu Biol, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 6
Document type: Journal article
Source: TOXINS; v. 10, n. 10 OCT 2018.
Web of Science Citations: 15
Abstract

Lancehead pit-vipers (Bothrops genus) are an extremely diverse and medically important group responsible for the greatest number of snakebite envenomations and deaths in South America. Bothrops atrox (common lancehead), responsible for majority of snakebites and related deaths within the Brazilian Amazon, is a highly adaptable and widely distributed species, whose venom variability has been related to several factors, including geographical distribution and habitat type. This study examined venoms from four B. atrox populations (Belterra and Santarem, PA; Pres. Figueiredo, AM and SAo Bento, MA), and two additional Bothrops species (B. jararaca and B. neuwiedi) from Southeastern region for their coagulotoxic effects upon different plasmas (human, amphibian, and avian). The results revealed inter- and intraspecific variations in coagulotoxicity, including distinct activities between the three plasmas, with variations in the latter two linked to ecological niche occupied by the snakes. Also examined were the correlated biochemical mechanisms of venom action. Significant variation in the relative reliance upon the cofactors calcium and phospholipid were revealed, and the relative dependency did not significantly correlate with potency. Relative levels of Factor X or prothrombin activating toxins correlated with prey type and prey escape potential. The antivenom was shown to perform better in neutralising prothrombin activation activity than neutralising Factor X activation activity. Thus, the data reveal new information regarding the evolutionary selection pressures shaping snake venom evolution, while also having significant implications for the treatment of the envenomed patient. These results are, therefore, an intersection between evolutionary biology and clinical medicine. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 14/13124-2 - Variability in Bothrops atrox snake venom from Western Pará: implications for snake ecology and pathophysiology of envenoming
Grantee:Leijiane Figueira de Sousa
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
FAPESP's process: 17/15170-0 - Characterization of mechanisms involved in the hemostatic disturbances induced by Bothrops atrox venoms from three locations of Brazilian Amazon
Grantee:Leijiane Figueira de Sousa
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
FAPESP's process: 17/50268-0 - Coagulotoxic effects of Brazilian snake venoms: role in adaptive evolution and human pathophysiological implications
Grantee:Ana Maria Moura da Silva
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants