Modern trends in animal venom research - omics and nanomaterials

Abstract

Animal venom research is a specialized investigation field, in which a number of different methods are used and this array is constantly expanding. Thus, recently emerged omics and nanotechnologies have already been successfully applied to venom research. Animal venoms have been studied for quite a long time. The traditional reductionist approach has been to isolate individual toxins and then study their structure and function. Unfortunately, the characterization of the venom as a whole system and its multiple effects on an entire organism were not possible until recent times. The development of new methods in mass spectrometry and sequencing have allowed such characterizations of venom, encompassing the identification of new toxins present in venoms at extremely low concentrations to changes in metabolism of prey organisms after envenomation. In particular, this type of comprehensive research has become possible due to the development of the various omics technologies: Proteomics, peptidomics, transcriptomics, genomics and metabolomics. As in other research fields, these omics technologies ushered in a revolution for venom studies, which is now entering the era of big data. Nanotechnology is a very new branch of technology and developing at an extremely rapid pace. It has found application in many spheres and has not bypassed the venom studies. Nanomaterials are quite promising in medicine, and most studies combining venoms and nanomaterials are dedicated to medical applications. Conjugates of nanoparticles with venom components have been proposed for use as drugs or diagnostics. For example, nanoparticles conjugated with chlorotoxin - a toxin in scorpion venom, which has been shown to bind specifically to glioma cells - are considered as potential glioma-targeted drugs, and conjugates of neurotoxins with fluorescent semiconductor nanoparticles or quantum dots may be used to detect endogenous targets expressed in live cells. The data on application of omics and nanotechnologies in venom research are systematized concisely in this paper.

Secreted Phospholipases A2 from Animal Venoms in Pain and Analgesia

“…Inflammation and pain, particularly at the site of injection, are important symptoms of human envenomation by poisonous animals [ 38 , 46 , 47 ]. Animal venoms consist of a rich and complex mixture of components that include enzymes, protein, and peptide toxins, which display a variety of biological functions through the action in different molecular targets [ 102 , 103 , 104 ]. Among these components, the secretory phospholipases A 2 (sPLA 2 s) are abundant in animal venoms, especially in Elapidae and Viperidae snake venoms.…”

Discovery Methodology of Novel Conotoxins from Conus Species

“…More efficient, resource-saving, and high-throughput methodology urgently needs to be exploited. “Omics” such as transcriptomics and proteomics, and “Multi-omics” by integrating them together, have opened a new era for conotoxin discovery and rapidly accelerate the rate of conotoxin discovery [ 108 , 109 , 110 ].…”

Spider Venom Components Decrease Glioblastoma Cell Migration and Invasion Through RhoA-ROCK and Na+/K+-ATPase β2: Potential Molecular Entities to Treat Invasive Brain Cancer

“…These venoms are an extremely complex and rich mixture of bioactive components. Its components have high affinity for multiple targets in the body and are currently being studied as potential prototypes of antineoplastic drugs based on optimized molecules [10,11]. The venom of the South American spider Phoneutria nigriventer (PnV) (Ctenidae, Araneomorphae) has been shown to permeate the BBB and also has a particular response in astrocytes [12][13][14][15].…”