From birth to adulthood: An analysis of the Brazilian lancehead (Bothrops moojeni) venom at different life stages

Abstract

The Brazilian lancehead (Bothrops moojeni) has a wide distribution in Brazil and represents a serious public health hazard. Previous works reported that the symptoms of snakebites caused by B. moojeni juveniles’ bites were mainly related to coagulation, while those caused by adults’ bites had a more prominent local damage. In this work, we analyzed the venoms of B. moojeni at different life stages to better understand the ontogeny shift in this species. Snakes were grouped by age and sex, and venom pools were formed accordingly. Compositional analyses by one-dimensional electrophoresis (1-DE), chromatography, and mass spectrometry revealed that ontogenetic changes might be mostly related to phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and metalloproteases. Regarding the venoms functional aspect, proteolytic, L-amino acid oxidase, PLA2, and coagulant in vitro activities were assayed, but only the first and the last ones showed age-related changes, with the venom of snakes up to 1 year-old displaying lower proteolytic and higher coagulant activities, while those from 2 years-old onward presented the opposite relation. The venoms of 3 years-old snakes were exceptions to the compositional and functional pattern of adults as both venoms presented profiles similar to neonates. Sex-related differences were observed in specific groups and were not age-related. In vivo experiments (median lethal dose and hemorrhagic activity) were statistically similar between neonates and adults, however we verified that the adult venom killed mice faster comparing to the neonates. All venoms were mostly recognized by the antibothropic serum and displayed similar profiles to 1-DE in western blotting. In conclusion, the Brazilian lancehead venom showed ontogenetic shift in its composition and activities. Furthermore, this change occurred in snakes from 1 to 2 years-old, and interestingly the venom pools from 3 years-old snakes had particular characteristics, which highlights the importance of comprehensive studies to better understand venom variability.

Ontogenetic and sexual differences in the venom of Bothrops moojeni: insights from a litter and its mother

“…Both ontogeny and sex influence the composition of Bothrops venom. Comparisons between young and adult B. jararaca, B. jararacussu, B. moojeni, and other congeners have revealed variations in biological activities and venom composition (Antunes et al, 2010;Freitas-de-Sousa et al, 2020;Hatakeyama et al, 2021). Moreover, juvenile snake venom has been shown to induce more severe coagulopathy in cases of human envenomation (Freitas-de- Sousa et al, 2020).…”

A Strategy for Efficient Preparation of Genus-Specific Diagnostic Antibodies for Snakebites

“…So, pAbs-n-PLA2 and PLA2-mc8 and pAbs-n-SVMP and SVMP-mc18 were used to antibody pairing to establish the ELISA method and to test the venom of T. stejnegeri and P. mucrosquamatus, respectively. Although the composition of venom is influenced by various factors, including climatic zone, diet, ontogenetic shifts, life stage, and predation pressure (18), highly abundant toxins are less affected (19). To determine whether PLA 2 and SVMP are suitable for the diagnosis of snakebite from different habitats, the contents of PLA 2 and SVMP in T. stejnegeri and P. mucrosquamatus from different habitats were compared.…”

Antiedematogenic activity of Petiveria alliacea L. in bothropic poisoning

“…In the Americas, the genus Bothrops is responsible for greater part of snakebites, because the wide number of species of this genus. In Brazil the genus Bothrops being responsible for majority of the cases reported, and lancehead Bothrops moojeni, has great participation because habits various habitats including inhabits the riparian forest and the Brazilian Cerrado biome (Nascimento et al, 2020;dos Santos Cavalcante et al, 2021;Hatakeyama et al, 2021).…”