The Field of Reptile Toxinology

In Vitro Cytotoxic and Proapoptotic Activities of Anatolian Macrovipera Lebetina Obtusa (Dwigubski, 1832) Crude Venom on Cultured K562 Human Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Cells.

“…5,6 Snake venom is a complex mixture consisting of mainly proteins and peptides and rich in enzymes. 7 Composition of snake venoms vary at different levels, including inter/intra-specific, inter-genus, diet, age and sex-related variations. 7,8 However, identified proteins from snake venoms to date can be grouped in major protein families.…”

“…7 Composition of snake venoms vary at different levels, including inter/intra-specific, inter-genus, diet, age and sex-related variations. 7,8 However, identified proteins from snake venoms to date can be grouped in major protein families. These include metalloproteinase, serine proteinase, L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO), hyaluronidase, phosphodiesterase, 5´-nucleotidase, arginine ester hydrolase, acetylcholinesterase and phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) as enzymes; C-type lectin protein (CLP), disintegrin, cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP), natriuretic peptide, bradykinin potentiating peptide (BPP), myotoxin, neurotoxin, nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor as non-enzyme proteins and peptides.…”

“…These include metalloproteinase, serine proteinase, L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO), hyaluronidase, phosphodiesterase, 5´-nucleotidase, arginine ester hydrolase, acetylcholinesterase and phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) as enzymes; C-type lectin protein (CLP), disintegrin, cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP), natriuretic peptide, bradykinin potentiating peptide (BPP), myotoxin, neurotoxin, nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and kunitz-type proteinase inhibitor as non-enzyme proteins and peptides. 7 A considerable number of bioactive proteins have been identified from snake venoms which have potential therapeutic value against various diseases such as cancer, bacterial and fungal infections, cardiovascular disorders (e.g., acute coronary syndrome) and arthritis. 5,6,[9][10][11][12][13][14] With a special focus on anticancer activity, various snake venoms and purified proteins (e.g., metalloprotease, disintegrin, PLA 2 , LAAO, CLP) have been shown to inhibit cancer progression in vitro and/or in vivo by affecting different cellular mechanisms, including apoptosis induction.…”

The origins and evolution of chromosomes, dosage compensation, and mechanisms underlying venom regulation in snakes

“…Snakes also possess microchromosomes, which have been shown in birds to have intriguing and unique genome biology (Hillier et al 2004;Backström et al 2010) but are virtually uncharacterized in reptiles. Snake venom systems are the most intensely studied feature of snake biology due to their medical relevance (Mackessy 2010) and also because they provide a unique opportunity to study the evolution of a complex phenotype that required gene duplication, shifts in gene function and regulation, and numerous structural and physiological adaptations for venom storage and delivery. Although numerous studies have characterized the composition and activity of snake venoms, progress in understanding the genomic context for venom evolution and precise cellular and regulatory mechanisms underlying venom expression has been severely limited by the fragmentary nature of existing snake genome assemblies (Bradnam et al 2013;Castoe et al 2013;Vonk et al 2013;Yin et al 2016).…”

Purification procedure for the isolation of a P-I metalloprotease and an acidic phospholipase A2 from Bothrops atrox snake venom

“…The composition of snake venoms results from the interaction of several factors such as genetics, age, sex, feeding and geographic location of the specimen [ 11 , 12 ]. Thus, standardization of methods for the isolation of bioactive molecules from these venoms is extremely difficult to achieve since they may vary widely in their compositions, even within the same snake species.…”