Expression pattern of three-finger toxin and phospholipase A2 genes in the venom glands of two sea snakes, Lapemis curtus and Acalyptophis peronii: comparison of evolution of these toxins in land snakes, sea kraits and sea snakes

Abstract

Background: Snake venom composition varies widely both among closely related species and within the same species, based on ecological variables. In terrestrial snakes, such variation has been proposed to be due to snakes' diet. Land snakes target various prey species including insects (arthropods), lizards (reptiles), frogs and toads (amphibians), birds (aves), and rodents (mammals), whereas sea snakes target a single vertebrate class (fishes) and often specialize on specific types of fish. It is therefore interesting to examine the evolution of toxins in sea snake venoms compared to that of land snakes.

Venomics of the beaked sea snake, Hydrophis schistosus: A minimalist toxin arsenal and its cross-neutralization by heterologous antivenoms

“…There are altogether 7 isoforms of 3FTx, all being α-neurotoxins (α-NTX), including three short NTX (Type 1 α-NTX) and four long NTX (Type 2 α-NTX). There is no cytotoxin or cardiotoxin detected at the protein level, consistent with most literature on 3FTx study for sea snake venom [18,[47][48][49][50]. Together, the 3FTx constitute 70.5% of total venom protein, 55.8% being short NTX and 14.7% long NTX.…”

Snake venomics of two poorly known Hydrophiinae: Comparative proteomics of the venoms of terrestrial Toxicocalamus longissimus and marine Hydrophis cyanocinctus

“…However, so far few investigations on the expression pattern of toxins in the venom glands of sea snakes have been reported, other than for the marbled sea snake, Aipysurus eydouxii, [78]; the Shaw's sea snake, Lapemis curtus, and the horned sea snake, Acalyptophis peronii [79]; and the spinebellied sea Snake, Lapemis hardwickii [80]. Here we report the venom toxin profile of the annulated sea snake, Hydrophis cyanocinctus, collected in the Iranian Gulf (Fig.…”

Structural and Functional Characterization of a Novel Homodimeric Three-finger Neurotoxin from the Venom of Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra)

“…Earlier, we reported taxa-specific neurotoxicity of denmotoxin from Boiga dendrophila (12) and irditoxin from Boiga irregularis (13). Taxa specificity manifests the natural targeting of the venom toxins toward their prey (13,(57)(58)(59). Snakes from the Boiga sp.…”