JVATiTD - Articles
Official publication of CEVAP/UNESP
Geographic variation of individual venom profile of Crotalus durissus snakes
Leandro Norberto da Silva-Júnior1,2, Lara de Souza Abreu1, Caroline Fabri Bittencourt Rodrigues1,3, Nathália da Costa Galizio1,3, Weslei da Silva Aguiar1,3, Caroline Serino-Silva1,3, Valdomiro Souza dos Santos2, Isabella Alves Costa2, Luis Vicente Franco Oliveira2, Sávio Stefanini Sant’Anna1, Kathleen Fernandes Grego1, Anita Mitico Tanaka-Azevedo1, Leandro Nascimento da Silva Rodrigues2, Karen de Morais-Zani1,3 [ + show more ]
Received: 3 March 2020 | Accepted: 4 August 2020 | Published online: 26 August 2020
Collection: Snake venoms: from production to bioprospecting
https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0016
Abstract
Background: South American rattlesnakes are represented in Brazil by a single species, Crotalus durissus, which has public health importance due to the severity of its envenomation and to its wide geographical distribution. The species is subdivided into several subspecies, but the current classification is controversial. In Brazil, the venoms of C. d. terrificus and C. d. collilineatus are used for hyperimmunization of horses for antivenom production, even though the distinction of these two subspecies are mostly by their geographical distribution. In this context, we described a comparative compositional and functional characterization of individual C. d. collilineatus and C. d. terrificus venoms from three Brazilian states. Methods: We compared the compositional patterns of C. d. terrificus and C. d. collilineatus individual venoms by 1-DE and RP-HPLC. For functional analyzes, the enzymatic activities of PLA2, LAAO, and coagulant activity were evaluated. Finally, the immunorecognition of venom toxins by the crotalic antivenom produced at Butantan Institute was evaluated using Western blotting. Results: The protein profile of individual venoms from C. d. collilineatus and C. d. terrificus showed a comparable overall composition, despite some intraspecific variation, especially regarding crotamine and LAAO. Interestingly, HPLC analysis showed a geographic pattern concerning PLA2. In addition, a remarkable intraspecific variation was also observed in PLA2, LAAO and coagulant activities. The immunorecognition pattern of individual venoms from C. d. collilineatus and C. d. terrificus by crotalic antivenom produced at Butantan Institute was similar. Conclusions: The results highlighted the individual variability among the venoms of C. durissus ssp. specimens. Importantly, our data point to a geographical variation of C. durissus ssp. venom profile, regardless of the subspecies, as evidenced by PLA2 isoforms complexity, which may explain the increase in venom neurotoxicity from Northeastern through Southern Brazil reported for the species.
Keywords Intraspecific venom variability; Geographic venom variability; Crotalus durissus collilineatus; Crotalus durissus terrificus; Snake venom composition and function.