Ontogenetic study of Bothrops jararacussu venom composition reveals distinct profiles

Author(s)

Aguiar, Weslei da Silva ^{[1, 2]} ; Galizio, Nathalia da Costa ^{[1, 2]} ; Sant'Anna, Savio Stefanini ^[2] ; Silveira, Giovanni Perez M. ^[2] ; Rodrigues, Fabiola de Souza ^[2] ; Grego, Kathleen Fernandes ^[2] ; De Morais-Zani, Karen ^{[1, 2]} ; Tanaka-Azevedo, Anita Mitico ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Pesquisas Tecnol, Inst Butantan, Interunidades Biotecnol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Inst Butantan, Lab Herpetol, Av Vital Brazil 1500, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Toxicon; v. 186, p. 67-77, OCT 30 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Concerning snake venoms, numerous authors worked with different species of Bothrops focusing on the ontogeny of these animals. However, according to PubMed database, no results on studies related to Bothrops jararacussu ontogeny were displayed until now. This fact led us to develop a greater interest in the venom ontogenetic variability of this species, which is little explored so far. Among snakes of the genus Bothrops, B. jararacussu was previously described as the one with highest myotoxic activity. Another peculiarity was also observed in its venom: a low rate of immunogenicity. In addition, its activity is not efficiently neutralized by the specific antibothropic serum. Considering these particularities, we performed an ontogenetic study of B. jararacussu using venom samples from newborns of the same litter (<6 months) and adults (>24 months). Our results identified two distinct profiles in the venom of these animals: young individuals with little PLA(2) K-49 and more proteases; and adults with a lot of the same myotoxic PLA(2), but less proteases. The HPLC and SDS-PAGE profiles corroborated our findings. Adults showed more hemorrhagic activity in vivo than juveniles, while adult males showed less activity when compared to females. In vivo myotoxicity activity was higher in adults than in juveniles. Immune recognition assays showed different results for the distinct venom. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/16908-2 - Proteomic characterization and enzymatic and pathophysiological activities of the venom of the snake species that compose the Bothrops neuwiedi group
• Grantee: Karen de Morais Zani
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/25786-0 - Phospholipase A2 inhibitors (PLIs) present in venomous and non-venomous snake plasmas and evaluation of the neutralizing activity of these inhibitors on the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activities of snake venoms
• Grantee: Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/14724-4 - Proteomic and functional characterization of the venom of two species of snakes of the genus Bothrops submitted to diet change
• Grantee: Nathália da Costa Galizio
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• FAPESP's process: 18/20651-0 - Analysis of the ontogenetic and seasonal variability of Bothrops jararacussu's (Serpentes: Viperidae; Lacerda 1884) snake venom
• Grantee: Weslei da Silva Aguiar
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate