The effect of the venom of the European water shrew ( Neomys fodiens fodiens Pennant) on certain experimental animals

Pucek, Michalina

doi:10.4098/at.arch.59-6

Cited by 17 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…It is particularly surprising that the knowledge on venoms from two species of water shrews, Neomys fodiens and N. anomalus , quite common in Europe, is extremely poor [ 7 , 9 ]. The toxic properties of N. fodiens and N. anomalus venoms from the submandibular salivary glands have been reported a few times in the past [ 16 , 17 ]. Therefore, it is highly probable that, similar to B. brevicauda , the venoms of these two species contain compounds with toxic activity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the physiological activity of venom from the Eurasian water shrew Neomys fodiens

et al. 2017

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BackgroundAnimal toxins can have medical and therapeutic applications. Principally, toxins produced by insects, arachnids, snakes and frogs have been characterized. Venomous mammals are rare, and their venoms have not been comprehensively investigated. Among shrews, only the venom of Blarina brevicauda has been analysed so far, and blarina toxin has been proven to be its main toxic component. It is assumed that Neomys fodiens employs its venom to hunt larger prey. However, the toxic profile, properties and mode of action of its venom are largely unknown. Therefore, we analysed the cardio-, myo- and neurotropic properties of N. fodiens venom and saliva of non-venomous Sorex araneus (control tests) in vitro in physiological bioassays carried out on two model organisms: beetles and frogs. For the first time, we fractionated N. fodiens venom and S. araneus saliva by performing chromatographic separation. Next, the properties of selected compounds were analysed in cardiotropic bioassays in the Tenebrio molitor heart.ResultsThe venom of N. fodiens caused a high decrease in the conduction velocity of the frog sciatic nerve, as well as a significant decrease in the force of frog calf muscle contraction. We also recorded a significant decrease in the frog heart contractile activity. Most of the selected compounds from N. fodiens venom displayed a positive chronotropic effect on the beetle heart. However, one fraction caused a strong decrease in the T. molitor heart contractile activity coupled with a reversible cardiac arrest. We did not observe any responses of the insect heart and frog organs to the saliva of S. araneus. Preliminary mass spectrometry analysis revealed that calmodulin-like protein, thymosin β-10, hyaluronidase, lysozyme C and phospholipase A2 are present in the venom of N. fodiens, whereas thymosin β4, lysozyme C and β-defensin are present in S. araneus saliva.ConclusionOur results showed that N. fodiens venom has stronger paralytic properties and lower cardioinhibitory activity. Therefore, it is highly probable that N. fodiens might use its venom as a prey immobilizing agent. We also confirmed that S. araneus is not a venomous mammal because its saliva did not exhibit any toxic effects.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12983-017-0230-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the physiological activity of venom from the Eurasian water shrew Neomys fodiens

et al. 2017

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“…Several bird species (the genus Pitohui) are also known to contain steroidal alkaloid toxin as a chemical defense (2). However, only a few members of the order Insectivora produce toxic compounds, including the Haitian solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus), the European water shrew (Neomys fodiens), the Mediterranean shrew (Neomys anomalous), and the American short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) (3)(4)(5)(6). Mammals in other orders, such as Monotremata (platypuses and echidnas), are also suspected to have venom (7).…”

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confidence: 99%

Blarina toxin, a mammalian lethal venom from the short-tailed shrew Blarina brevicauda : Isolation and characterization

Kita

Nakamura

Okumura

et al. 2004

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Venomous mammals are rare, and their venoms have not been characterized. We have purified and characterized the blarina toxin (BLTX), a lethal mammalian venom with a tissue kallikrein-like activity from the submaxillary and sublingual glands of the shorttailed shrew Blarina brevicauda. Mice administered BLTX i.p. developed irregular respiration, paralysis, and convulsions before dying. Based on the amino acid sequence of purified protein, we cloned the BLTX cDNA. It consists of a prosequence and an active form of 253 aa with a typical catalytic triad of serine proteases, with a high identity with tissue kallikreins. BLTX is an N-linked microheterogeneous glycoprotein with a unique insertion of 10 residues, L 106 TFFYKTFLG 115 . BLTX converted kininogens to kinins, which may be one of the toxic pathogens, and had dilatory effects on the blood vessel walls. The acute toxicity and proteolytic activity of BLTX were strongly inhibited by aprotinin, a kallikrein inhibitor, suggesting that its toxicity is due to a kallikrein-like activity of the venom.

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“…Although the saliva is highly toxic (Pucek 1959;Kita et al 2004), neither Blarina nor Neomys possesses teeth with clearly specialized structures to transmit the venom to the flesh of the prey, other than incisors with concave inner surfaces (Pournelle 1968;Churchfield 1990). Additionally, two other shrew species (Sorex palustris and Crocidura canariensis) have been reported to be venomous (Nussbaum and Maser 1969;López-Jurado and Mateo 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First evidence of poisonous shrews with an envenomation apparatus

Cuenca‐Bescós

Rofes

2006

Naturwissenschaften

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Herein, we report evidence of an envenomation apparatus (EA) in two different species of extinct "giant" shrews, Beremendia and an indeterminate soricine (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Soricidae), documented by very well preserved fossil specimens recovered from two Early Pleistocene cave deposits of the Sierra de Atapuerca in Burgos, Spain. The two soricine taxa from Atapuerca have evolved specialized teeth as EAs, which differ from those of recently reported mammals of the Paleocene age, being more similar to the ones described in the modern Solenodon. This discovery reveals the first instance of shrews possessing what appears to be an EA, an evolutionary adaptation that, in these species, was probably related to an increase in body mass and hunting of a larger-sized prey. The Atapuerca specimens would have a highly specialized EA, one of the very few reported for an extinct or living mammal of any time. In addition to the presence of a gutter-like groove along the medial side of the crown of the lower incisors, these two species also present stout jaws and a modified mandibular symphysis with a conspicuous cavity, which in life would likely contain large amounts of connective tissue. The strong mandible architecture of these large shrews would be, in this way, reinforced by a more immovable symphysis, increasing the bite force exerted over a potential prey. This adaptation, together with the grooved incisors, would ensure a rapid and efficient transmission of the poisonous saliva to paralyze relatively large-sized prey.

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The effect of the venom of the European water shrew ( Neomys fodiens fodiens Pennant) on certain experimental animals

Cited by 17 publications

References 3 publications

Evaluation of the physiological activity of venom from the Eurasian water shrew Neomys fodiens

Evaluation of the physiological activity of venom from the Eurasian water shrew Neomys fodiens

Blarina toxin, a mammalian lethal venom from the short-tailed shrew Blarina brevicauda : Isolation and characterization

First evidence of poisonous shrews with an envenomation apparatus

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