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Purification and Characterization of a Novel Factor of Crotoxin Inter-CRO (V-1), a New Phospholipase A2 Isoform from Crotalus durissus collilineatus Snake Venom Using an In Vitro Neuromuscular Preparation. Processes (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/pr10071428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The fractionation of Crotalus durissus collilineatus whole venom through an HPLC chromatographic method enabled the purification of a new V-1 neurotoxin. Inter-CRO (V-1) presents similarity in its primary structure to crotoxin B (CB), suggesting another isoform of this toxin. The aim of this study was to compare V-1 to the crotoxin complex (CA/CB) and CB to elucidate aspects related to its functionality. The homogeneity of the purified protein was confirmed with a molecular mass of 1425.45 Da, further verified by mass spectrometry. The sequence of the protein showed high similarity to other viperid snake venom PLA2 proteins. The results of this study report that V-1 is an uncharacterized novel toxin with different biological activities from CB. V-1 maintained catalytic activity but presented neurotoxic activity as observed by the 2.5-fold increase in twitch tension record compared to control values on isolated muscle cells.
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2
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Gopalan SS, Perry BW, Schield DR, Smith CF, Mackessy SP, Castoe TA. Origins, genomic structure and copy number variation of snake venom myotoxins. Toxicon 2022; 216:92-106. [PMID: 35820472 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine, myotoxin a and homologs are short peptides that often comprise major fractions of rattlesnake venoms and have been extensively studied for their bioactive properties. These toxins are thought to be important for rapidly immobilizing mammalian prey and are implicated in serious, and sometimes fatal, responses to envenomation in humans. While high quality reference genomes for multiple venomous snakes are available, the loci that encode myotoxins have not been successfully assembled in any existing genome assembly. Here, we integrate new and existing genomic and transcriptomic data from the Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) to reconstruct, characterize, and infer the chromosomal locations of myotoxin-encoding loci. We integrate long-read transcriptomics (Pacific Bioscience's Iso-Seq) and short-read RNA-seq to infer gene sequence diversity and characterize patterns of myotoxin and paralogous β-defensin expression across multiple tissues. We also identify two long non-coding RNA sequences which both encode functional myotoxins, demonstrating a newly discovered source of venom coding sequence diversity. We also integrate long-range mate-pair chromatin contact data and linked-read sequencing to infer the structure and chromosomal locations of the three myotoxin-like loci. Further, we conclude that the venom-associated myotoxin is located on chromosome 1 and is adjacent to non-venom paralogs. Consistent with this locus contributing to venom composition, we find evidence that the promoter of this gene is selectively open in venom gland tissue and contains transcription factor binding sites implicated in broad trans-regulatory pathways that regulate snake venoms. This study provides the best genomic reconstruction of myotoxin loci to date and raises questions about the physiological roles and interplay between myotoxin and related genes, as well as the genomic origins of snake venom variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth S Gopalan
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Blair W Perry
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Drew R Schield
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Cara F Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, 501 20th Street, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 12801 East 17th Avenue, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, 501 20th Street, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, 80639, USA
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, 501 S. Nedderman Dr., The University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
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3
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Ponce-López R, Neri-Castro E, Olvera-Rodríguez F, Sánchez EE, Alagón A, Olvera-Rodríguez A. Neutralization of crotamine by polyclonal antibodies generated against two whole rattlesnake venoms and a novel recombinant fusion protein. Toxicon 2021; 197:70-78. [PMID: 33894246 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Crotamine is a paralyzing toxin (MW: ~5 kDa) found in different proportions in some rattlesnake venoms (up to 62%). Mexican pit viper antivenoms have shown low immunoreactivity against crotamine, which is an urgent quality to be improved. The objective of this work was to evaluate the ability of a novel recombinant fusion protein composed of sphingomyelinase D and crotamine, and two whole venoms from Crotalus molossus nigrescens and C. oreganus helleri to produce neutralizing antibodies against crotamine. These immunogens were separately used for immunization procedures in rabbits. Then, we generated three experimental antivenoms to test their cross-reactivity via western-blot against crotamine from 7 species (C. m. nigrescens, C. o. helleri, C. durissus terrificus, C. scutulatus salvini, C. basiliscus, C. culminatus and C. tzabcan). We also performed pre-incubation neutralization experiments in mice to measure the neutralizing potency of each antivenom against crotamine induced hind limb paralysis. Our antivenoms showed broad recognition across crotamine from most of the tested species. Also, neutralization against crotamine paralysis symptom was successfully achieved by our three antivenoms, albeit with different efficiencies. Our results highlight the use of crotamine enriched venoms and our novel recombinant fusion protein as promising immunogens to improve the neutralizing potency against crotamine for the improvement of Mexican antivenoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Ponce-López
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62210, Mexico
| | - Edgar Neri-Castro
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62210, Mexico
| | - Felipe Olvera-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62210, Mexico
| | - Elda E Sánchez
- National Natural Toxins Research Center (NNTRC) and Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, USA
| | - Alejandro Alagón
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62210, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Olvera-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62210, Mexico.
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4
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Coulter-Parkhill A, McClean S, Gault VA, Irwin N. Therapeutic Potential of Peptides Derived from Animal Venoms: Current Views and Emerging Drugs for Diabetes. Clin Med Insights Endocrinol Diabetes 2021; 14:11795514211006071. [PMID: 34621137 PMCID: PMC8491154 DOI: 10.1177/11795514211006071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of venom-derived drugs is evident today. Currently, several significant drugs are FDA approved for human use that descend directly from animal venom products, with others having undergone, or progressing through, clinical trials. In addition, there is growing awareness of the important cosmeceutical application of venom-derived products. The success of venom-derived compounds is linked to their increased bioactivity, specificity and stability when compared to synthetically engineered compounds. This review highlights advancements in venom-derived compounds for the treatment of diabetes and related disorders. Exendin-4, originating from the saliva of Gila monster lizard, represents proof-of-concept for this drug discovery pathway in diabetes. More recent evidence emphasises the potential of venom-derived compounds from bees, cone snails, sea anemones, scorpions, snakes and spiders to effectively manage glycaemic control. Such compounds could represent exciting exploitable scaffolds for future drug discovery in diabetes, as well as providing tools to allow for a better understanding of cell signalling pathways linked to insulin secretion and metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Victor A Gault
- Diabetes Research Group, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
| | - Nigel Irwin
- Diabetes Research Group, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
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Zhou Y, Lei Y, Cao Z, Chen X, Sun Y, Xu Y, Guo W, Wang S, Liu C. A β-defensin gene of Trachinotus ovatus might be involved in the antimicrobial and antiviral immune response. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 92:105-115. [PMID: 30448509 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Defensins are a group of small cationic and cysteine-rich peptides that are important components of the innate immune system. However, studies on defensins in teleosts are very limited, particularly studies on defensin functions through in vivo assays. In this study, we cloned and identified one β-defensin (TroBD) the golden pompano, Trachinotus ovatus, and analyzed the functions of TroBD in both in vivo and in vitro assays. TroBD is composed of 63 amino acids and shares high sequence identities (27.27-98.41%) with known β-defensins of other teleosts. The protein has a signature motif of six conserved cysteine residues within the mature peptide. The expression of TroBD was most abundant in the head kidney and spleen and was significantly upregulated following infection by Vibrio harveyi and viral nervous necrosis virus (VNNV). Purified recombinant TroBD (rTroBD) inhibited the growth of V. harveyi, and its antimicrobial activity was influenced by salt concentration. TroBD was found to have a chemotactic effect on macrophages in vitro. The results of an in vivo study demonstrated that TroBD overexpression/knockdown in T. ovatus significantly reduced/increased bacterial colonization or viral copy numbers in tissues. Taken together, these results indicate that TroBD plays a significant role in both antibacterial and antiviral immunity and provide new avenues for protection against pathogen infection in the aquaculture industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongcan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, PR China
| | - Yang Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, PR China; Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Tropical Hydrobiology and Biotechnology, College of Marine Science, Hainan University, PR China
| | - Zhenjie Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, PR China; Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Tropical Hydrobiology and Biotechnology, College of Marine Science, Hainan University, PR China
| | - Xiaojuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, PR China
| | - Yun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, PR China.
| | - Yue Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, PR China
| | - Weiliang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, PR China
| | - Shifeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, PR China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, Hainan University, PR China
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6
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Jin X, Zhang M, Zhu XM, Fan YR, Du CG, Bao HE, Xu SG, Tian QZ, Wang YH, Yang YF. Modulation of ovine SBD-1 expression by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in ovine ruminal epithelial cells. BMC Vet Res 2018; 14:134. [PMID: 29673353 PMCID: PMC5907711 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-018-1445-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ovine rumen is involved in host defense responses and acts as the immune interface with the environment. The ruminal mucosal epithelium plays an important role in innate immunity and secretes antimicrobial innate immune molecules that have bactericidal activity against a variety of pathogens. Defensins are cationic peptides that are produced by the mucosal epithelia and have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Sheep β-defensin-1 (SBD-1) is one of the most important antibacterial peptides in the rumen. The expression of SBD-1 is regulated by the probiotic, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S.c); however, the regulatory mechanism has not yet been elucidated. In the current study, the effects of S.c on the expression and secretion of SBD-1 in ovine ruminal epithelial cells were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, specific inhibitors were used to block the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), p38, JNK, and ERK1/2 signalling pathways separately or simultaneously, to determine the regulatory mechanism(s) governing S.c-induced SBD-1 upregulation. Results Incubation with S.c induced release of SBD-1 by ovine ruminal epithelial cells, with SBD-1 expression peaking after 12 h of incubation. The highest SBD-1 expression levels were achieved after treatment with 5.2 × 107 CFU∙mL− 1 S.c. Treatment with S.c resulted in significantly increased NF-κB, p38, JNK, ERK1/2, TLR2, and MyD88 mRNA expression. Whereas inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and NF-κB gene expression led to a decrease in SBD-1 expression. Conclusions S.c was induced SBD-1 expression and the S.c-induced up-regulation of SBD-1 expression may be related to TLR2 and MyD88 in ovine ruminal epithelial cells. This is likely simultaneously regulated by the MAPKs and NF-κB pathways with the p38 axis of the MAPKs pathway acting as the primary regulator. Thus, the pathways regulating S.c-induced SBD-1 expression may be related to TLR2-MyD88-NF-κB/MAPKs, with the TLR2-MyD88-p38 component of the TLR2-MyD88-MAPKs signalling acting as the main pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Jin
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China
| | - Man Zhang
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Min Zhu
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Ru Fan
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen-Guang Du
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Vocational and Technical College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Baotou, 014109, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua-Er Bao
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China
| | - Siri-Guleng Xu
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiao-Zhen Tian
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun-He Wang
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China
| | - Yin-Feng Yang
- Veterinary Medicine College of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology in Animal Disease, Ministry of Agriculture, Hohhot, 010018, People's Republic of China.
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Batista da Cunha D, Pupo Silvestrini AV, Gomes da Silva AC, Maria de Paula Estevam D, Pollettini FL, de Oliveira Navarro J, Alves AA, Remédio Zeni Beretta AL, Annichino Bizzacchi JM, Pereira LC, Mazzi MV. Mechanistic insights into functional characteristics of native crotamine. Toxicon 2018; 146:1-12. [PMID: 29574214 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The chemical composition of snake venoms is a complex mixture of proteins and peptides that can be pharmacologically active. Crotamine, a cell-penetrating peptide, has been described to have antimicrobial properties and it exerts its effects by interacting selectively with different structures, inducing changes in the ion flow pattern and cellular responses. However, its real therapeutic potential is not yet fully known. Bearing in mind that crotamine is a promising molecule in therapeutics, this study investigated the action of purified molecule in three aspects: I) antibacterial action on different species of clinical interest, II) the effect of two different concentrations of the molecule on platelet aggregation, and III) its effects on isolated mitochondria. Crotamine was purified to homogeneity in a single step procedure using Heparin Sepharose. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 4881.4 Da, as determined by mass spectrometry. To assess antibacterial action, changes in the parameters of bacterial oxidative stress were determined. The peptide showed antibacterial activity on Escherichia coli (MIC: 2.0 μg/μL), Staphylococcus aureus (MIC: 8-16 μg/μL) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC: 4.0-8.0 μg/μL), inducing bacterial death by lipid peroxidation and oxidation of target proteins, determined by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and sulfhydryl groups, respectively. Crotamine induced increased platelet aggregation (IPA) at the two concentrations analyzed (0.1 and 1.4 μg/μL) compared to ADP-induced aggregation of PRP. Mitochondrial respiratory parameters and organelle structure assays were used to elucidate the action of the compound in this organelle. The exposure of mitochondria to crotamine caused a decrease in oxidative phosphorylation and changes in mitochondrial permeability, without causing damage in the mitochondrial redox state. Together, these results support the hypothesis that, besides the antimicrobial potential, crotamine acts on different molecular targets, inducing platelet aggregation and mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Batista da Cunha
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Vitória Pupo Silvestrini
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Gomes da Silva
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Deborah Maria de Paula Estevam
- Graduate Program in Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, State University Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho-UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Flávia Lino Pollettini
- Graduate Program in Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, State University Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho-UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Juliana de Oliveira Navarro
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Armindo Antônio Alves
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Laura Remédio Zeni Beretta
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil
| | - Joyce M Annichino Bizzacchi
- Blood Hemostasis Laboratory, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Lilian Cristina Pereira
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, State University Paulista Júlio Mesquita Filho-UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Maurício Ventura Mazzi
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Hermínio Ometto University Center, UNIARARAS, 7 Av. Dr. Maximiliano Baruto, 500, CEP 13607-339, Araras, SP, Brazil.
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8
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Ojeda PG, Ramírez D, Alzate-Morales J, Caballero J, Kaas Q, González W. Computational Studies of Snake Venom Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 10:E8. [PMID: 29271884 PMCID: PMC5793095 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 12/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Most snake venom toxins are proteins, and participate to envenomation through a diverse array of bioactivities, such as bleeding, inflammation, and pain, cytotoxic, cardiotoxic or neurotoxic effects. The venom of a single snake species contains hundreds of toxins, and the venoms of the 725 species of venomous snakes represent a large pool of potentially bioactive proteins. Despite considerable discovery efforts, most of the snake venom toxins are still uncharacterized. Modern bioinformatics tools have been recently developed to mine snake venoms, helping focus experimental research on the most potentially interesting toxins. Some computational techniques predict toxin molecular targets, and the binding mode to these targets. This review gives an overview of current knowledge on the ~2200 sequences, and more than 400 three-dimensional structures of snake toxins deposited in public repositories, as well as of molecular modeling studies of the interaction between these toxins and their molecular targets. We also describe how modern bioinformatics have been used to study the snake venom protein phospholipase A2, the small basic myotoxin Crotamine, and the three-finger peptide Mambalgin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola G Ojeda
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
| | - David Ramírez
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
| | - Jans Alzate-Morales
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
| | - Julio Caballero
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
| | - Quentin Kaas
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Wendy González
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations (CBSM), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
- Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channels-Associated Diseases (MiNICAD), Universidad de Talca, 3460000 Talca, Chile.
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9
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Yu H, Wang H, Liu X, Feng L, Qiao X, Cai S, Shi N, Wang Y. Identification, eukaryotic expression and structure & function characterizations of β-defensin like homologues from Pelodiscus sinensis. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 68:108-117. [PMID: 27890597 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Defensins are a group of host defense peptides that play a central role in host innate immune responses. Here, 26 genes encoding β-defensin-like peptides have been identified for the first time in Pelodiscus sinensis using database mining approach. Phylogenetic study confirmed that β-defensins are fast evolving genes with high rates of sequence substitutions. The expression level of several selected genes in different tissues was examined by RT-PCR. Ps-BDs mainly adopt β-strands and/or α-helix conformations homology modeled by Rosetta program. Further, Ps-BD2 was expressed in Pichia pastoris and purified using Ni-NTA column and RT-HPLC. As expected, the rPs-BD2 showed strong antimicrobial activity, but displayed a negligible hemolytic and cytotoxic activity on human erythrocytes and Raw 264.7 murine macrophage cells, respectively. Our results suggested that the Ps-BD2 was produced efficiently in P. pastoris expression system, which makes the large-scale use of rPs-BDs possible in the future clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haining Yu
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Xuelian Liu
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Lan Feng
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Xue Qiao
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Shasha Cai
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Nannan Shi
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Yipeng Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123 China.
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10
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El Chamy Maluf S, Dal Mas C, Oliveira EB, Melo PM, Carmona AK, Gazarini ML, Hayashi MAF. Inhibition of malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum development by crotamine, a cell penetrating peptide from the snake venom. Peptides 2016; 78:11-6. [PMID: 26806200 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2016.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
We show here that crotamine, a polypeptide from the South American rattlesnake venom with cell penetrating and selective anti-fungal and anti-tumoral properties, presents a potent anti-plasmodial activity in culture. Crotamine inhibits the development of the Plasmodium falciparum parasites in a dose-dependent manner [IC50 value of 1.87 μM], and confocal microscopy analysis showed a selective internalization of fluorescent-labeled crotamine into P. falciparum infected erythrocytes, with no detectable fluorescence in uninfected healthy erythrocytes. In addition, similarly to the crotamine cytotoxic effects, the mechanism underlying the anti-plasmodial activity may involve the disruption of parasite acidic compartments H(+) homeostasis. In fact, crotamine promoted a reduction of parasites organelle fluorescence loaded with the lysosomotropic fluorochrome acridine orange, in the same way as previously observed mammalian tumoral cells. Taken together, we show for the first time crotamine not only compromised the metabolism of the P. falciparum, but this toxin also inhibited the parasite growth. Therefore, we suggest this snake polypeptide as a promising lead molecule for the development of potential new molecules, namely peptidomimetics, with selectivity for infected erythrocytes and ability to inhibit the malaria infection by its natural affinity for acid vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- S El Chamy Maluf
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C Dal Mas
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - E B Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP-RP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - P M Melo
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - A K Carmona
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M L Gazarini
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil.
| | - M A F Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
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11
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Tu J, Li D, Li Q, Zhang L, Zhu Q, Gaur U, Fan X, Xu H, Yao Y, Zhao X, Yang M. Molecular Evolutionary Analysis of β-Defensin Peptides in Vertebrates. Evol Bioinform Online 2015; 11:105-14. [PMID: 26056425 PMCID: PMC4451809 DOI: 10.4137/ebo.s25580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate β-defensins comprise an important family of antimicrobial peptides that protect organisms from a diverse spectrum of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoan parasites. Previous studies have shown a marked variation in the number of β-defensins among species, but the underlying reason is unclear. To address this question, we performed comprehensive computational searches to study the intact β-defensin genes from 29 vertebrates. Phylogenetic analysis of the β-defensin genes in vertebrates identified frequent changes in the number of β-defensin genes and multiple species-specific gene gains and losses that have been occurring throughout the evolution of vertebrates. The number of intact β-defensin genes varied from 1 in the western clawed frog to 20 in cattle, with numerous expansions and contractions of the gene family throughout vertebrates, especially among tetrapods. The β-defensin gene number in a species is relevant to the ever-changing microbial challenges from the environment that they inhabit. Selection pressure analysis shows there exist three amino acid sites under significant positive selection. Protein structural characteristics analysis suggests that structural diversity determines the diverse functions of β-defensins. Our study provides a new perspective on the relationships among vertebrate β-defensin gene repertoires and different survival circumstances, which helps explain how β-defensins have evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Tu
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Diyan Li
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Qingqing Li
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomass Energy and Environmental Biotechnology, Yunnan Province, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, P.R. China
- Kunming Xianghao Technology Co, Ltd, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
| | - Long Zhang
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Qing Zhu
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Uma Gaur
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Xiaolan Fan
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Huailiang Xu
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Yongfang Yao
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoling Zhao
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Mingyao Yang
- Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, P.R. China
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12
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Wang L, Chan JYW, Rêgo JV, Chong CM, Ai N, Falcão CB, Rádis-Baptista G, Lee SMY. Rhodamine B-conjugated encrypted vipericidin nonapeptide is a potent toxin to zebrafish and associated with in vitro cytotoxicity. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2015; 1850:1253-60. [PMID: 25731980 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2015.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Revised: 02/15/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal venoms contain a diverse array of proteins and enzymes that are toxic toward various physiological systems. However, there are also some practical medicinal uses for these toxins including use as anti-bacterial and anti-tumor agents. METHODS In this study, we identified a nine-residue cryptic oligopeptide, KRFKKFFKK (EVP50) that is repeatedly encoded in tandem within vipericidin sequences. RESULTS EVP50 displayed in vivo potent lethal toxicity to zebrafish larvae (LD50=6 μM) when the peptide's N-terminus was chemically conjugated to rhodamine B (RhoB). In vitro, RhoB-conjugated EVP50 (RhoB-EVP50) exhibited a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect toward MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. In MCF-7 cells, the RhoB-EVP50 nonapeptide accumulated inside the cells within minutes. In the cytoplasm, the RhoB-EVP50 induced extracellular calcium influx and intracellular calcium release. Membrane budding was also observed after incubation with micromolar concentrations of the fluorescent EVP50 conjugate. CONCLUSIONS The conjugate's interference with calcium homeostasis, its intracellular accumulation and its induced membrane dysfunction (budding and vacuolization) seem to act in concert to disrupt the cell circuitry. Contrastively, unconjugated EVP50 peptide did not display neither toxic nor cytotoxic activities in our in vivo and in vitro models. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The synergic mechanism of toxicity was restricted to the structurally modified encrypted vipericidin nonapeptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Judy Y W Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Juciane V Rêgo
- Northeast Biotechnology Network (RENORBIO), Post-graduation program in Biotechnology, Federal University of Ceara, Brazil; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Brazil
| | - Cheong-Meng Chong
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Nana Ai
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Cláudio B Falcão
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Brazil
| | - Gandhi Rádis-Baptista
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute for Marine Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Brazil.
| | - Simon M Y Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China.
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13
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Costa BA, Sanches L, Gomide AB, Bizerra F, Dal Mas C, Oliveira EB, Perez KR, Itri R, Oguiura N, Hayashi MAF. Interaction of the Rattlesnake Toxin Crotamine with Model Membranes. J Phys Chem B 2014; 118:5471-9. [DOI: 10.1021/jp411886u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno A. Costa
- Departamento
de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São
Paulo 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Sanches
- Laboratório
Especial de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São
Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Andreza Barbosa Gomide
- Departamento
de Física Aplicada, Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Fernando Bizerra
- Departamento
de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Caroline Dal Mas
- Departamento
de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São
Paulo 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Eduardo B. Oliveira
- Departamento
de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão
Preto, São Paulo, 14096-000, Brazil
| | - Katia Regina Perez
- Departamento
de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04021-001, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Itri
- Departamento
de Física Aplicada, Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Nancy Oguiura
- Laboratório
Especial de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São
Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Mirian A. F. Hayashi
- Departamento
de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São
Paulo 04044-020, Brazil
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14
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Sieber M, Bosch B, Hanke W, Fernandes de Lima VM. Membrane-modifying properties of crotamine, a small peptide-toxin from Crotalus durissus terifficus venom. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2014; 1840:945-50. [PMID: 24513454 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Revised: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Crotamine is a small, highly basic myotoxin from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terifficus. It is structurally well defined and exhibits some similarities with the β-defensins of vertebrates. An amazing variety of functions and targets that range from analgesia and tumor-related activity to cell penetration have been associated with crotamine. Similar to defensins, it had been argued that crotamine has antimicrobial activity, and this supposition was recently proven.Moreover, it has been argued that the antimicrobial activity of crotamine is due to the membrane permeabilizing properties of the peptide. However, until now, the detailed mechanism of this postulated membrane permeabilization was still unclear. METHODS In this paper, we used gradient SDS-gels, mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF), and monolayer and planar lipid bilayer experiments to investigate the membrane modifying properties of crotamine. RESULTS We showed that crotamine itself forms stable monolayers because of its amphipathic structure, is easily incorporated into lipid monolayers and forms well-defined pores with low cationic selectivity in planar lipid bilayers; these properties might account for the antimicrobial activity of crotamine. The pores are probably oligomericaggregates of crotamine molecules, as suggested by the tendency of crotamine to form oligomers in aqueous solution and the fact that the structure of crotamine does not allow pore formation by monomers. CONCLUSIONS The membrane modifying and antimicrobial properties of crotamine are probably due to homo oligomeric pore formation in membranes. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The results should be highly interesting to researchers in the fields of biophysics, pharmacology,toxicology and antibiotics.
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15
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Li H, Guo H, Shan S, Qi C, An L, Yang G. Characterization and expression pattern of a novel β-defensin in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.): implications for its role in mucosal immunity. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2014; 78:430-7. [DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2014.885830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
β-defensins are a group of cysteine-rich cationic antimicrobial peptides that play antibacterial and antiviral roles in immune systems of vertebrates. Here, we report the cloning and identification of a β-defensin 3 cDNA sequence from the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that this β-defensin 3 belonged to the BD-2 group of fish. Real-time PCR showed that the β-defensin 3 mRNA was expressed in all the tissues of normal common carp that we examined and was highly expressed in the spleen and gills. When challenged with Vibrio anguillarum, the expression level of common carp β-defensin 3 mRNA was quickly upregulated in various tissues. Our results indicate that the β-defensin 3 showed markedly high constitutive expression in the gills, and significantly upregulated expression in the hindgut of the common carp after infection, suggesting it plays an important role in the innate and mucosal immunity of common carp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Hongyan Guo
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Shijuan Shan
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Chenchen Qi
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Liguo An
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Guiwen Yang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
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16
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Kerkis I, Hayashi MAF, Prieto da Silva ARB, Pereira A, De Sá Júnior PL, Zaharenko AJ, Rádis-Baptista G, Kerkis A, Yamane T. State of the art in the studies on crotamine, a cell penetrating peptide from South American rattlesnake. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:675985. [PMID: 24551848 PMCID: PMC3914522 DOI: 10.1155/2014/675985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Revised: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Animal venoms comprise a naturally selected cocktail of bioactive peptides/proteins and other molecules, each of which playing a defined role thanks to the highly specific interactions with diverse molecular targets found in the prey. Research focused on isolation, structural, and functional characterizations of novel natural biologics (bioactive peptides/proteins from natural sources) has a long way to go through from the basic science to clinical applications. Herein, we overview the structural and functional characteristics of the myoneurotoxin crotamine, firstly isolated from the South American rattlesnake venom. Crotamine is the first venom peptide classified as a natural cell penetrating and antimicrobial peptide (CPP and AMP) with a more pronounced antifungal activity. In contrast to other known natural CPPs and AMPs, crotamine demonstrates a wide spectrum of biological activities with potential biotechnological and therapeutic values. More recent studies have demonstrated the selective in vitro anticancer activity of crotamine. In vivo, using a murine melanoma model, it was shown that crotamine delays tumor implantation, inhibits tumor cells proliferation, and also increases the survival of mice engrafted with subcutaneous melanoma. The structural and functional properties and also the possible biotechnological applications of minimized molecules derived from crotamine are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Kerkis
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mirian A. F. Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Alexandre Pereira
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paulo Luiz De Sá Júnior
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Andre J. Zaharenko
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gandhi Rádis-Baptista
- Labomar-Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Kerkis
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil, 1500 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Tetsuo Yamane
- Universidade Estadual da Amazônia (UEA) e Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Biotecnologia da Amazônia (CBA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
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17
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Aird SD, Watanabe Y, Villar-Briones A, Roy MC, Terada K, Mikheyev AS. Quantitative high-throughput profiling of snake venom gland transcriptomes and proteomes (Ovophis okinavensis and Protobothrops flavoviridis). BMC Genomics 2013; 14:790. [PMID: 24224955 PMCID: PMC3840601 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2013] [Accepted: 10/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Advances in DNA sequencing and proteomics have facilitated quantitative comparisons of snake venom composition. Most studies have employed one approach or the other. Here, both Illumina cDNA sequencing and LC/MS were used to compare the transcriptomes and proteomes of two pit vipers, Protobothrops flavoviridis and Ovophis okinavensis, which differ greatly in their biology. Results Sequencing of venom gland cDNA produced 104,830 transcripts. The Protobothrops transcriptome contained transcripts for 103 venom-related proteins, while the Ovophis transcriptome contained 95. In both, transcript abundances spanned six orders of magnitude. Mass spectrometry identified peptides from 100% of transcripts that occurred at higher than contaminant (e.g. human keratin) levels, including a number of proteins never before sequenced from snakes. These transcriptomes reveal fundamentally different envenomation strategies. Adult Protobothrops venom promotes hemorrhage, hypotension, incoagulable blood, and prey digestion, consistent with mammalian predation. Ovophis venom composition is less readily interpreted, owing to insufficient pharmacological data for venom serine and metalloproteases, which comprise more than 97.3% of Ovophis transcripts, but only 38.0% of Protobothrops transcripts. Ovophis venom apparently represents a hybrid strategy optimized for frogs and small mammals. Conclusions This study illustrates the power of cDNA sequencing combined with MS profiling. The former quantifies transcript composition, allowing detection of novel proteins, but cannot indicate which proteins are actually secreted, as does MS. We show, for the first time, that transcript and peptide abundances are correlated. This means that MS can be used for quantitative, non-invasive venom profiling, which will be beneficial for studies of endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven D Aird
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Tancha 1919-1, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa-ken 904-0412, Japan.
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Guidolin F, Tambourgi D, Guidolin R, Marcelino J, Okamoto C, Magnoli F, Queiroz G, Dias da Silva W. Characterization of anti-crotalic antibodies. Toxicon 2013; 66:7-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2012] [Revised: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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19
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Yamane ES, Bizerra FC, Oliveira EB, Moreira JT, Rajabi M, Nunes GL, de Souza AO, da Silva ID, Yamane T, Karpel RL, Silva PI, Hayashi MA. Unraveling the antifungal activity of a South American rattlesnake toxin crotamine. Biochimie 2013; 95:231-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2012.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2012] [Accepted: 09/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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20
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Chen PC, Hayashi MAF, Oliveira EB, Karpel RL. DNA-interactive properties of crotamine, a cell-penetrating polypeptide and a potential drug carrier. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48913. [PMID: 23145017 PMCID: PMC3493588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2012] [Accepted: 10/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Crotamine, a 42-residue polypeptide derived from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, has been shown to be a cell-penetrating protein that targets chromosomes, carries plasmid DNA into cells, and shows specificity for actively proliferating cells. Given this potential role as a nucleic acid-delivery vector, we have studied in detail the binding of crotamine to single- and double-stranded DNAs of different lengths and base compositions over a range of ionic conditions. Agarose gel electrophoresis and ultraviolet spectrophotometry analysis indicate that complexes of crotamine with long-chain DNAs readily aggregate and precipitate at low ionic strength. This aggregation, which may be important for cellular uptake of DNA, becomes less likely with shorter chain length. 25-mer oligonucleotides do not show any evidence of such aggregation, permitting the determination of affinities and size via fluorescence quenching experiments. The polypeptide binds non-cooperatively to DNA, covering about 5 nucleotide residues when it binds to single (ss) or (ds) double stranded molecules. The affinities of the protein for ss- vs. ds-DNA are comparable, and inversely proportional to salt levels. Analysis of the dependence of affinity on [NaCl] indicates that there are a maximum of ∼3 ionic interactions between the protein and DNA, with some of the binding affinity attributable to non-ionic interactions. Inspection of the three-dimensional structure of the protein suggests that residues 31 to 35, Arg-Trp-Arg-Trp-Lys, could serve as a potential DNA-binding site. A hexapeptide containing this sequence displayed a lower DNA binding affinity and salt dependence as compared to the full-length protein, likely indicative of a more suitable 3D structure and the presence of accessory binding sites in the native crotamine. Taken together, the data presented here describing crotamine-DNA interactions may lend support to the design of more effective nucleic acid drug delivery vehicles which take advantage of crotamine as a carrier with specificity for actively proliferating cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Chun Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mirian A. F. Hayashi
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Brandt Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Richard L. Karpel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Rokyta DR, Lemmon AR, Margres MJ, Aronow K. The venom-gland transcriptome of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus). BMC Genomics 2012; 13:312. [PMID: 23025625 PMCID: PMC3472243 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Snake venoms have significant impacts on human populations through the morbidity and mortality associated with snakebites and as sources of drugs, drug leads, and physiological research tools. Genes expressed by venom-gland tissue, including those encoding toxic proteins, have therefore been sequenced but only with relatively sparse coverage resulting from the low-throughput sequencing approaches available. High-throughput approaches based on 454 pyrosequencing have recently been applied to the study of snake venoms to give the most complete characterizations to date of the genes expressed in active venom glands, but such approaches are costly and still provide a far-from-complete characterization of the genes expressed during venom production. Results We describe the de novo assembly and analysis of the venom-gland transcriptome of an eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) based on 95,643,958 pairs of quality-filtered, 100-base-pair Illumina reads. We identified 123 unique, full-length toxin-coding sequences, which cluster into 78 groups with less than 1% nucleotide divergence, and 2,879 unique, full-length nontoxin coding sequences. The toxin sequences accounted for 35.4% of the total reads, and the nontoxin sequences for an additional 27.5%. The most highly expressed toxin was a small myotoxin related to crotamine, which accounted for 5.9% of the total reads. Snake-venom metalloproteinases accounted for the highest percentage of reads mapping to a toxin class (24.4%), followed by C-type lectins (22.2%) and serine proteinases (20.0%). The most diverse toxin classes were the C-type lectins (21 clusters), the snake-venom metalloproteinases (16 clusters), and the serine proteinases (14 clusters). The high-abundance nontoxin transcripts were predominantly those involved in protein folding and translation, consistent with the protein-secretory function of the tissue. Conclusions We have provided the most complete characterization of the genes expressed in an active snake venom gland to date, producing insights into snakebite pathology and guidance for snakebite treatment for the largest rattlesnake species and arguably the most dangerous snake native to the United States of America, C. adamanteus. We have more than doubled the number of sequenced toxins for this species and created extensive genomic resources for snakes based entirely on de novo assembly of Illumina sequence data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darin R Rokyta
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA.
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Pereira A, Kerkis A, Hayashi MAF, Pereira ASP, Silva FS, Oliveira EB, Prieto da Silva ARB, Yamane T, Rádis-Baptista G, Kerkis I. Crotamine toxicity and efficacy in mouse models of melanoma. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2011; 20:1189-200. [DOI: 10.1517/13543784.2011.602064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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23
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Rokyta DR, Wray KP, Lemmon AR, Lemmon EM, Caudle SB. A high-throughput venom-gland transcriptome for the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) and evidence for pervasive positive selection across toxin classes. Toxicon 2011; 57:657-71. [PMID: 21255598 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2011.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2010] [Revised: 01/05/2011] [Accepted: 01/10/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite causing considerable human mortality and morbidity, animal toxins represent a valuable source of pharmacologically active macromolecules, a unique system for studying molecular adaptation, and a powerful framework for examining structure-function relationships in proteins. Snake venoms are particularly useful in the latter regard as they consist primarily of a moderate number of proteins and peptides that have been found to belong to just a handful of protein families. As these proteins and peptides are produced in dedicated glands, transcriptome sequencing has proven to be an effective approach to identifying the expressed toxin genes. We generated a venom-gland transcriptome for the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) using Roche 454 sequencing technology. In the current work, we focus on transcripts encoding toxins. We identified 40 unique toxin transcripts, 30 of which have full-length coding sequences, and 10 have only partial coding sequences. These toxins account for 24% of the total sequencing reads. We found toxins from 11 previously described families of snake-venom toxins and have discovered two putative, previously undescribed toxin classes. The most diverse and highly expressed toxin classes in the C. adamanteus venom-gland transcriptome are the serine proteinases, metalloproteinases, and C-type lectins. The serine proteinases are the most abundant class, accounting for 35% of the toxin sequencing reads. Metalloproteinases are the most diverse; 11 different forms have been identified. Using our sequences and those available in public databases, we detected positive selection in seven of the eight toxin families for which sufficient sequences were available for the analysis. We find that the vast majority of the genes that contribute directly to this vertebrate trait show evidence for a role for positive selection in their evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darin R Rokyta
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA.
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Structural and pharmacological characterization of the crotamine isoforms III-4 (MYX4_CROCu) and III-7 (MYX7_CROCu) isolated from the Crotalus durissus cumanensis venom. Toxicon 2010; 55:1443-52. [PMID: 20206199 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2010.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2009] [Revised: 02/20/2010] [Accepted: 02/23/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Two major crotamine isoforms (III-4 and III-7) were obtained combining two chromatographic steps on molecular exclusion chromatography (Sephadex G-75) and ion-exchange column (Protein Pack SP 5PW) of the rattlesnake Crotalus durissus cumanensis venom. The "in vivo" myotoxic effect of the venom, its "in vitro" cytotoxicity in myoblasts and myotubes (C2C12) and the neurotoxic and edema-forming activity were characterized. The molecular masses of the crotamine isoforms were 4907.94 Da (III-4) and 4985.02 Da (III-7) and, as determined by mass spectrometry, both contained six Cys residues. Enzymatic hydrolysis followed by de novo sequencing through tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the primary structure of both isoforms. III-4 and III-7 isoforms presented a 42-amino acid residues sequence and showed high molecular amino acid sequence identity with other crotamine-like proteins from Crotalus durissus terrificus. In vivo, both crotamine isoforms induced myotoxicty and a systemic interleukin-6 response upon intramuscular injection. These new crotamine isoforms induced low cytotoxicity in skeletal muscle myoblasts and myotubes (C2C12) and both induced a facilitatory effect on neuromuscular transmission in young chick biventer cervicis preparation. Edema-forming activity was also analyzed by injection of the crotamine isoforms into the right paw, since both crotamine isoforms exert a strong pro-inflammatory effect.
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Oguiura N, Collares MA, Furtado MFD, Ferrarezzi H, Suzuki H. Intraspecific variation of the crotamine and crotasin genes in Crotalus durissus rattlesnakes. Gene 2009; 446:35-40. [PMID: 19523505 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2009.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2009] [Revised: 05/12/2009] [Accepted: 05/27/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a small basic myotoxin peptide of Crotalus durissus venom, with beta-defensin scafold and variable concentration in individual venoms. The crotamine gene was mapped to the end of chromosome 2 and the signal intensity differed significantly between the two homologues. In contrast to crotamine, the paralogous crotasin gene is scarcely expressed in the venom glands. In this study, we analyzed the crotamine concentrations in the venoms of a total of 23 rattlesnakes from diverse Brazilian localities by ELISA as well as the copy number of both crotamine and crotasin genes by real-time PCR. Crotamine was found to constitute 5-29% of venom proteins varying greatly among individual animals. The crotamine gene exists from 1 to 32 copies per haploid genome, whereas the crotasin gene is present from 1 to 7 copies. Furthermore, we observed that the crotamine concentration and crotamine gene copy number are positively correlated (r(2)=0.68), implying the variation of crotamine in venom results from the variation of the gene copy number. Sequencing of 50 independent copies of crotamine and crotasin genes from four different rattlesnakes revealed the presence of six crotasin isoforms with a single amino acid difference from the original crotasin sequence, whereas only two additional crotamine isoforms were observed. Taken together, our results suggested that after duplication from a common ancestor gene, crotamine and crotasin may have diverged in such a way that the crotamine gene underwent repetitive duplication to increase its copy number, whereas the crotasin gene diversified its sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Oguiura
- Laboratório Especial de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, Av. Dr. Vital Brasil, 1500, CEP 05503-900, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Yonamine CM, Prieto-da-Silva ARB, Magalhães GS, Rádis-Baptista G, Morganti L, Ambiel FC, Chura-Chambi RM, Yamane T, Camillo MAP. Cloning of serine protease cDNAs from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom gland and expression of a functional Gyroxin homologue in COS-7 cells. Toxicon 2009; 54:110-20. [PMID: 19341755 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2009.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2008] [Revised: 03/10/2009] [Accepted: 03/23/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Gyroxin is one of main serine proteases of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, representing about 2% of the protein content in the crude venom. It is a 33 kDa glycoprotein with 3.8% by weight of sugar moiety. This toxin induces hemotoxicity in mice and a neurological condition called barrel rotation syndrome. In the present work, we report the molecular cloning of five new nucleotide sequences from a cDNA library of the venom glands of a single specimen of C. d. terrificus. These sequences have been analyzed in silico with respect to their cDNA organization and similarity with other snake venom serine proteases (SVSPs). We also describe a rapid and efficient method for screening vectors for mammalian cell expression, based on the fact that SVSPs are difficult-to-express toxins due to the presence of several disulfide bonds and glycosylation in their structures. Thus, one of the Gyroxin cDNAs was subcloned into pSectag2 HygroA and pED vectors and used to transfect COS-7 cells. Expression of the functional recombinant Gyroxin isoform was achieved with this cell line with esterase activity in the conditioned culture medium, as revealed by immunoblot of secreted protein and standard anti-crotalic serum from Butantan Institute.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Yonamine
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, IPEN - CNEN, Cidade Universitaria, Av. Prof Lineu Prestes 2242, CEP 05508-000, São Paulo - SP, Brazil.
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Boldrini-França J, Rodrigues RS, Fonseca FPP, Menaldo DL, Ferreira FB, Henrique-Silva F, Soares AM, Hamaguchi A, Rodrigues VM, Otaviano AR, Homsi-Brandeburgo MI. Crotalus durissus collilineatus venom gland transcriptome: analysis of gene expression profile. Biochimie 2009; 91:586-95. [PMID: 19230843 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2009.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2008] [Accepted: 02/10/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Crotalus durissus rattlesnakes are responsible for the most lethal cases of snakebites in Brazil. Crotalus durissus collilineatus subspecies is related to a great number of accidents in Southeast and Central West regions, but few studies on its venom composition have been carried out to date. In an attempt to describe the transcriptional profile of the C. durissus collilineatus venom gland, we generated a cDNA library and the sequences obtained could be identified by similarity searches on existing databases. Out of 673 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) 489 produced readable sequences comprising 201 singletons and 47 clusters of two or more ESTs. One hundred and fifty reads (60.5%) produced significant hits to known sequences. The results showed a predominance of toxin-coding ESTs instead of transcripts coding for proteins involved in all cellular functions. The most frequent toxin was crotoxin, comprising 88% of toxin-coding sequences. Crotoxin B, a basic phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) subunit of crotoxin, was represented in more variable forms comparing to the non-enzymatic subunit (crotoxin A), and most sequences coding this molecule were identified as CB1 isoform from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. Four percent of toxin-related sequences in this study were identified as growth factors, comprising five sequences for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and one for nerve growth factor (NGF) that showed 100% of identity with C. durissus terrificus NGF. We also identified two clusters for metalloprotease from PII class comprising 3% of the toxins, and two for serine proteases, including gyroxin (2.5%). The remaining 2.5% of toxin-coding ESTs represent singletons identified as homologue sequences to cardiotoxin, convulxin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and C-type natriuretic peptide, Ohanin, crotamin and PLA(2) inhibitor. These results allowed the identification of the most common classes of toxins in C. durissus collilineatus snake venom, also showing some unknown classes for this subspecies and even for C. durissus species, such as cardiotoxins and VEGF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johara Boldrini-França
- Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia-MG, Brazil
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Expression of mRNAs coding for VAP1/crotastatin-like metalloproteases in the venom glands of three South American pit vipers assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. Toxicon 2008; 52:897-907. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2008.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2008] [Revised: 08/27/2008] [Accepted: 08/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Ponce-Soto LA, Martins-de-Souza D, Martins D, Novello JC, Marangoni S. Structural and Biological Characterization of Two Crotamine Isoforms IV-2 and IV-3 Isolated from the Crotalus durissus cumanensis Venom. Protein J 2007; 26:533-40. [PMID: 17828447 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-007-9094-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we isolated the two new crotamine isoforms from the Crotalus durissus cumanensis rattlesnake venom and its "in vitro" neurotoxic, myotoxic and lethality (DL(50)) intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) effects were characterized. These proteins were named IV-2 and IV-3 and were purified by combination of two chromatographic steps on molecular exclusion chromatography on Superdex 75 and reverse phase HPLC (mu-Bondapack C18). The molecular mass of the crotamine isoforms was 4905.96 Da for isoform IV-2 and 4956.97 Da for IV-3 and, as determined by mass spectrometry, and both contained six Cys residues. Enzymatic hydrolysis followed by de novo sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the primary structure of both isoforms. The positions of five sequenced tryptic peptides, including the N-terminal of the isoform IV-2 and four from isoform IV-3 were deduced by comparison with a homologous protein from the crotamine family. The isoforms IV-2 and IV-3 had a sequence of amino acids of 42 amino acid residues IV-2: YKRCHIKGGH CFPKEKLICI PPSSDIGKMD CPWKRKCCKK RS and pI value 9.54 and IV-3: YKQCHKKGGH CFPKEVLICI PPSSDFGKMD CRWKRKCCKK RS with a pI value of 9.54. This protein showed high molecular amino acid sequence identity with other crotamine-like proteins from Crotalus durissus terrificus. These new crotamine isoforms induced potent blockade of neuromuscular transmission in young chicken biventer cervicis preparation and potent myotoxic effect. In mice, both isoforms induced myonecrosis, upon intramuscular or subcutaneous injections. These activities were modulated by the presence of positively charged amino acid residues. The LD(50) of isoform IV-2 was 0.07 mg/kg and isoform IV-3 was 0.06 mg/kg the animal weight, by i.c.v. route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Alberto Ponce-Soto
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Biologia (IB), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083-970, Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil.
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Gomes CL, Konno K, Conceição IM, Ianzer D, Yamanouye N, Prezoto BC, Assakura MT, Rádis-Baptista G, Yamane T, Santos RA, de Camargo ACM, Hayashi MAF. Identification of novel bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs) in the venom gland of a rattlesnake allowed the evaluation of the structure-function relationship of BPPs. Biochem Pharmacol 2007; 74:1350-60. [PMID: 17714693 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2007.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2007] [Revised: 07/05/2007] [Accepted: 07/11/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Aiming to extend the knowledge about the diversity of bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs) and their precursor proteins, a venom gland cDNA library from the South American rattlesnake (Crotalus dursissus terrificus, Cdt) was screened. Two novel homologous cDNAs encoding the BPPs precursor protein were cloned. Their sequence contain only one single longer BPP sequence with the typical IPP-tripeptide, and two short potential BPP-like molecules, revealing a unique structural organization. Several peptide sequences structurally similar to the BPPs identified in the precursor protein from Cdt and also from others snakes, were chemically synthesized and were bioassayed both in vitro and in vivo, by means of isolated smooth muscle preparations and by measurements of blood pressure in anaesthetized rats, respectively. We demonstrate here that a pyroglutamyl residue at the N-terminus with a high content of proline residues, even with the presence of a IPP moiety characteristic of typical BPPs, are not enough to determine a bradykinin-potentiating activity to these peptides. Taken together, our results indicate that the characterization of the BPPs precursor proteins and identification of characteristic glutamine residues followed by proline-rich peptide sequences are not enough to predict if these peptides, even with a pyroglutamyl residue at the N-terminus, will present the typical pharmacological activities described for the BPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudiana L Gomes
- Center for Applied Toxinology, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Nascimento FD, Hayashi MAF, Kerkis A, Oliveira V, Oliveira EB, Rádis-Baptista G, Nader HB, Yamane T, Tersariol ILDS, Kerkis I. Crotamine mediates gene delivery into cells through the binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycans. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:21349-60. [PMID: 17491023 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m604876200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently we have shown that crotamine, a toxin from the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, belongs to the family of cell-penetrating peptides. Moreover, crotamine was demonstrated to be a marker of centrioles, of cell cycle, and of actively proliferating cells. Herein we show that this toxin at non-toxic concentrations is also capable of binding electrostatically to plasmid DNA forming DNA-peptide complexes whose stabilities overcome the need for chemical conjugation for carrying nucleic acids into cells. Interestingly, crotamine demonstrates cell specificity and targeted delivery of plasmid DNA into actively proliferating cells both in vitro and in vivo, which distinguishes crotamine from other known natural cell-penetrating peptides. The mechanism of crotamine penetration and cargo delivery into cells was also investigated, showing the involvement of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the uptake phase, which is followed by endocytosis and peptide accumulation within the acidic endosomal vesicles. Finally, the permeabilization of endosomal membranes induced by crotamine results in the leakage of the vesicles contents to the cell cytosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio Dupart Nascimento
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-Escola Paulista de Medicina, Rua 3 de Maio, 100, Ed. INFAR, CEP 04044-020, São Paulo, Brazil
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Kato K, Furihata K, Cheli Y, Radis-Baptista G, Kunicki TJ. Effect of multimer size and a natural dimorphism on the binding of convulxin to platelet glycoprotein (GP)VI. J Thromb Haemost 2006; 4:1107-13. [PMID: 16689765 DOI: 10.1111/j.1538-7836.2006.01874.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Convulxin (CVX), a C-type lectin from the venom of Crotalus durissus terrificus, is a potent activator of human platelets, binding predominantly to glycoprotein (GP)VI. Native CVX is an octamer composed of four alphabeta-heterodimers [(alphabeta)(4)]. Two different native sequences have been reported, one bearing lysine (K), the other glutamic acid (E), at beta chain residue 89, but the physiological relevance of this difference is unknown. OBJECTIVE We used the Drosophila S2 system to express recombinant CVX (rCVX) heterodimers (alphabeta) and site-directed mutagenesis to evaluate the influence of multimer size and the substitution betaK89E on CVX function. METHODS By flow cytometry, native CVX and both recombinant forms bind to human platelets in whole blood. By surface plasmon resonance (BIAcore, Piscataway, NJ, USA), the calculated equilibrium dissociation constants (K(D)) were: rCVX alphabeta89K, 11.3 x 10(-8) m; rCVX alphabeta89E, 9 x 10(-8) m; and native CVX, 2.8 x 10(-8) m. RESULTS Thus, the affinities of the two rCVX forms for human, recombinant GPVI are essentially the same, but the relative affinity of native CVX is about 3-fold higher. The minimum concentration of native CVX that induces maximal human platelet aggregation (70 pm) is roughly 400-fold lower than that of either rCVX (29 nm). CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the ability of the native CVX octamer to cluster mobile GPVI molecules within the platelet membrane may be the single most important factor that contributes to the efficiency with which CVX is able to induce platelet activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Kato
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Division of Experimental Hemostasis and Thrombosis, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Zou J, Mercier C, Koussounadis A, Secombes C. Discovery of multiple beta-defensin like homologues in teleost fish. Mol Immunol 2006; 44:638-47. [PMID: 16540171 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2006.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2005] [Revised: 01/16/2006] [Accepted: 01/17/2006] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Using a database mining approach, multiple defensin like genes have been discovered for the first time in fish, in species including zebrafish Danio rerio and the pufferfish, Takifugu rubripes and Tetraodon nigroviridis. They share the common features of vertebrate defensins, including small size, net cationic charge, and six conserved cysteines in the mature region. Based on their cysteine arrangement, the identified fish defensin like peptides resemble beta-defensin family members in birds and mammals. Computing modelling detected three beta-strands in all three zebrafish defensins and an extra N-terminal alpha-helix in one of the peptides. The coding regions of the fish genes contain three exons and two introns, the same as avian defensin genes. In zebrafish and tetraodon, two defensin genes identified are located in the same chromosome. An additional locus containing a third defensin gene has also been found in a different chromosome in zebrafish, demonstrating that multiple defensin loci may be present in fish. Comparative studies suggest that beta-defensins may represent the primitive form of the defensin family, which expanded during evolution by gene or genome duplication. In healthy zebrafish, constitutive expression of defensins was detected by RT-PCR in gill, gonad, gut, kidney, muscle, skin and spleen but the levels and patterns varied for individual defensin genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zou
- Scottish Fish Immunology Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK
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Fadel V, Bettendorff P, Herrmann T, de Azevedo WF, Oliveira EB, Yamane T, Wüthrich K. Automated NMR structure determination and disulfide bond identification of the myotoxin crotamine from Crotalus durissus terrificus. Toxicon 2005; 46:759-67. [PMID: 16185738 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2005.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2005] [Accepted: 07/28/2005] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is one of four major components of the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus. Similar to its counterparts in the family of the myotoxins, it induces myonecrosis of skeletal muscle cells. This paper describes a new NMR structure determination of crotamine in aqueous solution at pH 5.8 and 20 degrees C, using standard homonuclear 1H NMR spectroscopy at 900MHz and the automated structure calculation software ATNOS/CANDID/DYANA. The automatic NOESY spectral analysis included the identification of a most likely combination of the six cysteines into three disulfide bonds, i.e. Cys4-Cys36, Cys11-Cys30 and Cys18-Cys37; thereby a generally applicable new computational protocol is introduced to determine unknown disulfide bond connectivities in globular proteins. A previous NMR structure determination was thus confirmed and the structure refined. Crotamine contains an alpha-helix with residues 1-7 and a two-stranded anti-parallel beta-sheet with residues 9-13 and 34-38 as the only regular secondary structures. These are connected with each other and the remainder of the polypeptide chain by the three disulfide bonds, which also form part of a central hydrophobic core. A single conformation was observed, with Pro13 and Pro21 in the trans and Pro20 in the cis-form. The global fold and the cysteine-pairing pattern of crotamine are similar to the beta-defensin fold, although the two proteins have low sequence homology, and display different biological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valmir Fadel
- Institut für Molekularbiologie und Biophysik, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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Oguiura N, Boni-Mitake M, Rádis-Baptista G. New view on crotamine, a small basic polypeptide myotoxin from South American rattlesnake venom. Toxicon 2005; 46:363-70. [PMID: 16115660 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2005.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2005] [Revised: 05/10/2005] [Accepted: 06/08/2005] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a toxin from the Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, composed of 42 amino acid residues and three disulfide bridges. It belongs to a toxin family previously called Small Basic Polypeptide Myotoxins (SBPM) whose members are widely distributed through the Crotalus snake venoms. Comparison of SBPM amino acid sequences shows high similarities. Crotamine induces skeletal muscle spasms, leading to spastic paralysis of the hind limbs of mice, by interacting with sodium channels on muscle cells. The crotamine gene with 1.8 kbp is organized into three exons, which are separated by a long phase-1 and short phase-2 introns and mapped to chromosome 2. The three-dimensional structure of crotamine was recently solved and shares a structural topology with other three disulfide bond-containing peptide similar to human beta-defensins and scorpion Na+ channel toxin. Novel biological activities have been reported, such as the capacity to penetrate undifferentiated cells, to localize in the nucleus, and to serve as a marker of actively proliferating living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Oguiura
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brazil, 1500, São Paulo 05503-900, SP-Brazil.
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36
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Toyama OD, Boschero CA, Martins AM, Fonteles CM, Monteiro SH, Toyama HM. Structure?Function Relationship of New Crotamine Isoform from the Crotalus durissus cascavella. Protein J 2005; 24:9-19. [PMID: 15756813 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-004-0601-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In this work we isolated a novel crotamine like protein from the Crotalus durissus cascavella venom by combination of molecular exclusion and analytical reverse phase HPLC. Its primary structure was:YKRCHKKGGHCFPKEKICLPPSSDLGKMDCRWKRK-CCKKGS GK. This protein showed a molecular mass of 4892.89 Da that was determined by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. The approximately pI value of this protein was determined in 9.9 by two-dimensional electrophoresis. This crotamine-like protein isolated here and that named as Cro 2 produced skeletal muscle spasm and spastic paralysis in mice similarly to other crotamines like proteins. Cro 2 did not modify the insulin secretion at low glucose concentration (2.8 and 5.6 mM), but at high glucose concentration (16.7 mM) we observed an insulin secretion increasing of 2.7-3.0-fold than to control. The Na+ channel antagonist tetrodoxin (6 mM) decreased glucose and Cro 2-induced insulin secretion. These results suggested that Na+ channel are involved in the insulin secretion. In this article, we also purified some peptide fragment from the treatment of reduced and carboxymethylated Cro 2 (RC-Cro 2) with cyanogen bromide and protease V8 from Staphylococcus aureus. The isolated pancreatic beta-cells were then treated with peptides only at high glucose concentration (16.7 mM), in this condition only two peptides induced insulin secretion. The amino acid sequence homology analysis of the whole crotamine as well as the biologically-active peptide allowed determining the consensus region of the biologically-active crotamine responsible for insulin secretion was KGGHCFPKE and DCRWKWKCCKKGSG.
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Affiliation(s)
- O D Toyama
- Departamento de Bioquìmica, UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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37
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Wermelinger LS, Dutra DLS, Oliveira-Carvalho AL, Soares MR, Bloch C, Zingali RB. Fast analysis of low molecular mass compounds present in snake venom: identification of ten new pyroglutamate-containing peptides. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2005; 19:1703-8. [PMID: 15912471 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.1973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of the peptide content in snake venoms can be an important tool for the investigation of new pharmacological lead compounds. For this purpose, single-step analysis of crude venoms has recently been demonstrated using mass spectrometry (MS) techniques. Reproducible profiles of ions in MS and MS/MS spectra may also be used to compare venoms from different species. In this work matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) was used to obtain mass patterns of the major peptides (<8 kDa) found in pooled venoms from the genera Bothrops and Crotalus. Venoms from five different Bothrops species (B. jararaca, B. insularis, B. alternatus, B. jararacussu, and B. neuwiedi) and three Crotalus species (C. viridis, C. adamanteus and C. durissus terrificus) were analyzed. In agreement with other reports, venoms from Bothrops species contained a variety of peptides in the range m/z 1000-1500, and in some samples larger components (m/z 7000-8000) were detected. In the Crotalus species venoms were rich in peptides ranging from m/z 1000-1500 and 4000-5500. MS/MS experiments on the low molecular mass peptides (m/z 1000-1500) confirmed the presence of ten new bradykinin-potentiating peptides among venoms from genera Bothrops and Crotalus. In order to determine whether additional peptides could be identified after partial purification, B. jararaca venom was subjected to size-exclusion chromatography on Sephacryl S-200, and two distinct low molecular mass pools were analyzed further by MALDI-TOFMS. No additional peptides were detected from the pool with masses below 2000 Da but a substantial improvement with better resolution was observed for the pool with masses above 7000 Da, indicating that complex samples such as crude snake venoms can be analyzed for low molecular mass peptides using a single-step procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Serrão Wermelinger
- Laboratório de Proteoma e Microsseqüenciamento de Proteínas e Petídeos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Rádis-Baptista G, Kubo T, Oguiura N, Prieto da Silva ARB, Hayashi MAF, Oliveira EB, Yamane T. Identification of crotasin, a crotamine-related gene of Crotalus durissus terrificus. Toxicon 2004; 43:751-9. [PMID: 15284009 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2004.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2003] [Accepted: 02/25/2004] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a cationic peptide (4.9 kDa, pI 9.5) of South American rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus terrificus' venom. Its presence varies according to the subspecies or the geographical locality of a given species. At the genomic level, we observed the presence of 1.8 kb gene, Crt-p1, in crotamine-positive specimens and its absence in crotamine-negative ones. In this work, we described a crotamine-related 2.5 kb gene, crotasin (Cts-p2), isolated from crotamine-negative specimens. Reverse transcription coupled to polymerase chain reaction indicates that Cts-p2 is abundantly expressed in several snake tissues, but scarcely expressed in the venom gland. The genome of crotamine-positive specimen contains both Crt-p1 and Cts-p2 genes. The present data suggest that both crotamine and crotasin have evolved by duplication of a common ancestor gene, and the conservation of their three disulfide bonds indicates that they might adopt the same fold as beta-defensin. The physiological function of the crotasin is not yet known.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Rádis-Baptista
- Molecular Toxinology Laboratory, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brazil 1500, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil.
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Kerkis A, Kerkis I, Rádis-Baptista G, Oliveira EB, Vianna-Morgante AM, Pereira LV, Yamane T. Crotamine is a novel cell-penetrating protein from the venom of rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus. FASEB J 2004; 18:1407-9. [PMID: 15231729 DOI: 10.1096/fj.03-1459fje] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Herein we report that crotamine, a small lysine- and cysteine-rich protein from the venom of the South American rattlesnake, can rapidly penetrate into different cell types and mouse blastocysts in vitro. In vivo crotamine strongly labels cells from mouse bone marrow and spleen and from peritoneal liquid, as shown by fluorescent confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Nuclear localization of crotamine was observed in both fixed and unfixed cells. In the cytoplasm, crotamine specifically associates with centrosomes and thus allows us to follow the process of centriole duplication and separation. In the nucleus, it binds to the chromosomes at S/G2 phase, when centrioles start dividing. Moreover, crotamine appears as a marker of actively proliferating cells, as shown by 5-BrdU cell-proliferation assay. Crotamine in the micromolar range proved nontoxic to any of the cell cultures tested and did not affect the pluripotency of ES cells or the development of mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Kerkis
- Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 277, 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
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40
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Rádis-Baptista G, Kubo T, Oguiura N, Svartman M, Almeida TMB, Batistic RF, Oliveira EB, Vianna-Morgante AM, Yamane T. Structure and chromosomal localization of the gene for crotamine, a toxin from the South American rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus terrificus. Toxicon 2004; 42:747-52. [PMID: 14757205 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2003.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine is a 42 amino acid-long basic polypeptide, one of the major components of the South American rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus terrificus, venom. The mRNA has about 340 nucleotides and codifies a pre-crotamine, including the signal peptide, the mature crotamine, and a final lysine. In this report, we describe the crotamine gene with 1.8 kb organized into three exons separated by a long phase-1 (900 bp) and a short phase-2 (140 bp) introns. Exon 1 includes the 5'-untranslated region and codifies the first 19 amino acids of the signal peptide. Exon 2 codifies 42 amino acids, three belonging to the signal peptide and 39 to the mature crotamine. Exon 3 codifies the last three amino acids of the mature toxin and the terminal lysine. The crotamine gene was mapped by in situ hybridization to the end of the long arm of chromosome 2, the intensity of signals differing between the two homologues. This may reflect a difference in gene copy numbers between chromosomes, a possible explanation for the variable amounts of crotamine found in the venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gandhi Rádis-Baptista
- Laboratório de Toxinologia Molecular, Instituto Butantan, Av. Vital Brazil, 1500, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
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Toyama MH, Marangoni S, Novello JC, Leite GB, Prado-Franceschi J, da Cruz-Höfling MA, Rodrigues-Simioni L. Biophysical, histopathological and pharmacological characterization of crotamine isoforms F22 and F32. Toxicon 2003; 41:493-500. [PMID: 12657319 DOI: 10.1016/s0041-0101(02)00390-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Two major crotamine isoforms (F22 and F32) were obtained after three chromatographic steps and were assayed in mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparations. F32 and F22 (0.5 microg/ml, n=4) produced a facilitatory effect, which increased isometric twitch-tension by 300 and 230%, respectively, after a 120 min incubation. At a concentration of 0.1 microg/ml, both isoforms increased the twitch-tension by about 160%. However, when the isoforms were co-incubated (final concentration, 0.5 microg/ml) for 30 min prior to testing, they did not cause the facilitation seen with > or =0.1 microg/ml of each isoform alone. Histologically, F32 and F22 at 0.5 and 1 microg/ml were quantitatively alike in inducing tissue myonecrosis. However, a mixture of the two isoforms (final concentration, 0.5 microg/ml) significantly attenuated the damage seen with either toxin alone. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that the isoforms had the same molecular mass (4.8 kDa) and that they existed as monomers with a highly stable structure. These results indicate that F22 and F32 acted on muscle cells of the mouse phrenic-nerve diaphragm preparation through similar mechanisms. Since the isoforms did not produce the expected summation in the increase in muscle twitch-tension, it is possible that they may have different affinities for the sodium channel subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos H Toyama
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biology, P.O. Box 6109, CEP 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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Martins AMC, Toyama MH, Havt A, Novello JC, Marangoni S, Fonteles MC, Monteiro HSA. Determination of Crotalus durissus cascavella venom components that induce renal toxicity in isolated rat kidneys. Toxicon 2002; 40:1165-171. [PMID: 12165320 DOI: 10.1016/s0041-0101(02)00119-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Envenomation by Crotalus durissus terrificus leads to coagulation disorders, myotoxicity, neurotoxicity and acute renal failure (ARF). The most serious systemic change and primary cause of death is ARF. In this work, we used RP-HPLC to isolate crotoxin, convulxin and gyroxin from venom of the related subspecies Crotalus durissus cascavella and investigated the effects of these toxins on renal function in the isolated rat kidneys perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution containing 6% of bovine serum albumin. The parameters studied included perfusion pressure (PP), renal vascular resistance (RVR), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urinary flow (UF), percent of sodium tubular transport (%TNa(+)), percent of potassium tubular transport (%TK(+)) and percent of chloride tubular transport (%TCl(-)). Crotoxin (5 microg/ml) increased the PP, RVR, GFR, UF and decreased %TNa(+), %TK(+) and %TCl(-), with gyroxin (5 micro g/ml) the GFR remained stable during the 120 min of perfusion, whereas PP and RVR increased significantly and the %TNa(+), %TK(+) and %TCl(-) decreased significantly. Convulxin (5 micro g/ml) had no effect on renal function. Crotoxin caused alterations in all renal parameters. Gyroxin produced a minor effect compared to crotoxin. These results indicated that crotoxin is the main componenet responsible for acute nephrotoxicity caused by C. d. cascavella venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M C Martins
- Health Science Center, University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR), Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil
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Siqueira AM, Martins NF, De Lima ME, Diniz CR, Cartier A, Brown D, Maigret B. A proposed 3D structure for crotamine based on homology building, molecular simulations and circular dichroism. J Mol Graph Model 2002; 20:389-98. [PMID: 11887801 DOI: 10.1016/s1093-3263(01)00139-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Crotamine, isolated from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus is a strongly basic 42-amino acid polypeptide belonging to the small basic myotoxin family. As no tridimensional structure is available for this myotoxin subfamily, despite its important pharmacological interest, we propose in this paper a theoretical 3D model for crotamine. Starting from a homology modelling procedure, followed by intensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in water and complementary CD experiments, the designed 3D model is the first example of a tridimensional structure in this family of small basic myotoxins. Crotamine, therefore, belongs to a newly identified structural family presenting a common fold also found in beta-defensin and antopleurine-B. The proposed 3D model will be used for future calculations about crotamine aggregation and interaction with membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Siqueira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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