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Xu H, Mastenbroek J, Krikke NTB, El-Asal S, Mutlaq R, Casewell NR, Slagboom J, Kool J. Nanofractionation Analytics for Comparing MALDI-MS and ESI-MS Data of Viperidae Snake Venom Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:370. [PMID: 39195780 PMCID: PMC11360109 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16080370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, it is estimated that there are 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenoming caused by snakebites. Snake venom is a complex mixture of protein toxins, lipids, small molecules, and salts, with the proteins typically responsible for causing pathology in snakebite victims. For their chemical characterization and identification, analytical methods are required. Reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RP-LC-ESI-MS) is a widely used technique due to its ease of use, sensitivity, and ability to be directly coupled after LC separation. This method allows for the efficient separation of complex mixtures and sensitive detection of analytes. On the other hand, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is also sometimes used, and though it typically requires additional sample preparation steps, it offers desirable suitability for the analysis of larger biomolecules. In this study, seven medically important viperid snake venoms were separated into their respective venom toxins and measured by ESI-MS. In parallel, using nanofractionation analytics, post-column high-resolution fractionation was used to collect the eluting toxins for further processing for MALDI-MS analysis. Our comparative results showed that the deconvoluted snake venom toxin masses were observed with good sensitivity from both ESI-MS and MALDI-MS approaches and presented overlap in the toxin masses recovered (between 25% and 57%, depending on the venom analyzed). The mass range of the toxins detected in high abundance was between 4 and 28 kDa. In total, 39 masses were found in both the ESI-MS and/or MALDI-MS analyses, with most being between 5 and 9 kDa (46%), 13 and 15 kDa (38%), and 24 and 28 kDa (13%) in size. Next to the post-column MS analyses, additional coagulation bioassaying was performed to demonstrate the parallel post-column assessment of venom activity in the workflow. Most nanofractionated venoms exhibited anticoagulant activity, with three venoms additionally exhibiting toxins with clear procoagulant activity (Bothrops asper, Crotalus atrox, and Daboia russelii) observed post-column. The results of this study highlight the complementarity of ESI-MS and MALDI-MS approaches for characterizing snake venom toxins and provide a complementary overview of defined toxin masses found in a diversity of viper snake venoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jesse Mastenbroek
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Natascha T. B. Krikke
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susan El-Asal
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rama Mutlaq
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Khodadadi S, Rabiei H, Sardari S, Mahboudi H, Bayatzadeh MA, Vazifeh Shiran N, Sardabi M, Akbari Eidgahi MR, Madanchi H, Mohammadpour N. Purification, and characterization of a new pro-coagulant protein from Iranian Echis carinatus venom. Biochem Biophys Rep 2024; 38:101701. [PMID: 38601750 PMCID: PMC11004499 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2024.101701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
This work aimed to purify the proteins that cause blood coagulation in the venom of the Iranian Echis carinatus snake species in a comprehensive manner. Gel filtration chromatography (GFC), Ion exchange chromatography (IEC), and Size Exclusion High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (SEC-HPLC) were utilized in the purification of the coagulation factors. The prothrombin clotting time (PRCT) and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis were performed to confirm the coagulative fractions. The fraction with the shortest coagulation time was selected. The components of this designated fraction were identified through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) following thorough purification. Circular dichroism (CD) was employed to determine the second structure of the coagulation factor. The crude venom (CV) was analyzed and had a total protein concentration of 97%. Furthermore, the PRCT of the crude venom solution at a concentration of 1 mg/ml was determined to be 24.19 ± 1.05 s. The dosage administered was found to be a factor in the venom's capacity to induce hemolysis. According to CD analysis, the protein under investigation had a helical structure of 16.7%, a beta structure of 41%, and a turn structure of 9.8%. CHNS proved that the purified coagulant protein had a Carbon content of 77.82%, 5.66% Hydrogen, 3.19% Nitrogen, and 0.49% Sulphur. In the present investigation, a particular type of snake venom metalloproteinase (SVMP) has undergone the process of purification and characterization and has been designated as EC-124. This purified fraction shows significant efficacy as a procoagulant. Our findings have shown that this compound has a function similar to factor X and most likely it can cause blood coagulation by activating factor II (FII).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayeneh Khodadadi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Hadi Rabiei
- Venomous Animal and Antivenom Production Department, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Iran
| | - Soroush Sardari
- Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Medical, Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, 13198, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hosein Mahboudi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Para-Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Alborz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Bayatzadeh
- Venomous Animal and Antivenom Production Department, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Iran
| | - Nader Vazifeh Shiran
- Department of Hematology, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Sardabi
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Khwarizmi University, Alborz, Iran
| | | | - Hamid Madanchi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Medical, Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, 13198, Tehran, Iran
- Nervous System Stem Cells Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Nasser Mohammadpour
- Venomous Animal and Antivenom Production Department, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Iran
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3
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Weekers DJC, Alonso LL, Verstegen AX, Slagboom J, Kool J. Qualitative Profiling of Venom Toxins in the Venoms of Several Bothrops Species Using High-Throughput Venomics and Coagulation Bioassaying. Toxins (Basel) 2024; 16:300. [PMID: 39057940 PMCID: PMC11280908 DOI: 10.3390/toxins16070300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Envenoming resulting from snakebites is recognized as a priority neglected tropical disease by The World Health Organization. The Bothrops genus, consisting of different pitviper species, is considered the most medically significant taxa in Central and South America. Further research into Bothrops venom composition is important to aid in the development of safer and more effective snakebite treatments. In addition, the discovery of Bothrops toxins that could potentially be used for medical or diagnostic purposes is of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. This study aimed to employ high-throughput (HT) venomics to qualitatively analyze venom composition while utilizing coagulation bioassays for identifying coagulopathic toxins and characterizing coagulopathic activity in various Bothrops venoms. Using the recently demonstrated HT venomics workflow in combination with post-column coagulopathic bioassaying, focus was placed at anticoagulant toxins. Well-known procoagulant toxins were also investigated, taking into account that using the HT venomics workflow, procoagulant toxins are especially prone to denaturation during the reversed-phase chromatographic separations performed in the workflow. The findings revealed that the venoms of B. atrox and B. jararaca harbored procoagulant toxins, whereas those of B. alternatus and B. neuwiedi contained both procoagulant and anticoagulant toxins. In general, anticoagulation was associated with phospholipases A2s, while procoagulation was associated with snake venom metalloproteinases and snake venom serine proteases. These results showed the identification of coagulopathic venom toxins in the Bothrops venoms analyzed using multiple analytical methods that complement each other. Additionally, each venom underwent qualitative characterization of its composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimoetsha J. C. Weekers
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Luis L. Alonso
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anniek X. Verstegen
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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4
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Bourke LA, Zdenek CN, Huynh TM, Hodgson WC, Alagón A, Castro EN, Jones J, Fry BG. Fangs and foliage: Unearthing the haemotoxic secrets of cannabis-dwelling rattlesnakes. Toxicon 2024; 244:107756. [PMID: 38740096 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Despite a recent surge in high-throughput venom research that has enabled many species to be studied, some snake venoms remain understudied. The long-tailed rattlesnakes (Crotalus ericsmithi, C. lannomi, and C. stejnegeri) are one group where such research lags, largely owing to the rarity of these snakes and the hazardous areas, ripe with drug (marijuana and opium) production, they inhabit in Mexico. To fill this knowledge gap, we used multiple functional assays to examine the coagulotoxic (including across different plasma types), neurotoxic, and myotoxic activity of the venom of the long-tailed rattlesnakes. All crude venoms were shown to be potently anticoagulant on human plasma, which we discovered was not due to the destruction of fibrinogen, except for C. stejnegeri displaying minor fibrinogen destruction activity. All venoms exhibited anticoagulant activity on rat, avian, and amphibian plasmas, with C. ericsmithi being the most potent. We determined the mechanism of anticoagulant activity by C. ericsmithi and C. lannomi venoms to be phospholipid destruction and inhibition of multiple coagulation factors, leading to a net disruption of the clotting cascade. In the chick biventer assay, C. ericsmithi and C. lannomi did not exhibit neurotoxic activity but displayed potential weak myotoxic activity. BIRMEX® (Faboterápico Polivalente Antiviperino) antivenom was not effective in neutralising this venom effect. Overall, this study provides an in-depth investigation of venom function of understudied long-tailed rattlesnakes and provides a springboard for future venom and ecology research on the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan A Bourke
- Adaptive Biotoxicology Lab, School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Tam M Huynh
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Wayne C Hodgson
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Alejandro Alagón
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, 62210, Mexico
| | - Edgar N Castro
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, 62210, Mexico; Investigador por México, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Avenida Universidad s/n. Fracc. Filadelfia, C.P. 35010, Gómez Palacio, Dgo., Mexico
| | - Jason Jones
- Herp.mx A.C, Villa Del Álvarez, Colima, Mexico
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Adaptive Biotoxicology Lab, School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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5
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Palermo G, Schouten WM, Alonso LL, Ulens C, Kool J, Slagboom J. Acetylcholine-Binding Protein Affinity Profiling of Neurotoxins in Snake Venoms with Parallel Toxin Identification. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16769. [PMID: 38069093 PMCID: PMC10706727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite is considered a concerning issue and a neglected tropical disease. Three-finger toxins (3FTxs) in snake venoms primarily cause neurotoxic effects since they have high affinity for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Their small molecular size makes 3FTxs weakly immunogenic and therefore not appropriately targeted by current antivenoms. This study aims at presenting and applying an analytical method for investigating the therapeutic potential of the acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP), an efficient nAChR mimic that can capture 3FTxs, for alternative treatment of elapid snakebites. In this analytical methodology, snake venom toxins were separated and characterised using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and high-throughput venomics. By subsequent nanofractionation analytics, binding profiling of toxins to the AChBP was achieved with a post-column plate reader-based fluorescence-enhancement ligand displacement bioassay. The integrated method was established and applied to profiling venoms of six elapid snakes (Naja mossambica, Ophiophagus hannah, Dendroaspis polylepis, Naja kaouthia, Naja haje and Bungarus multicinctus). The methodology demonstrated that the AChBP is able to effectively bind long-chain 3FTxs with relatively high affinity, but has low or no binding affinity towards short-chain 3FTxs, and as such provides an efficient analytical platform to investigate binding affinity of 3FTxs to the AChBP and mutants thereof and to rapidly identify bound toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Palermo
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.P.); (W.M.S.); (L.L.A.)
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wietse M. Schouten
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.P.); (W.M.S.); (L.L.A.)
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Luis Lago Alonso
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.P.); (W.M.S.); (L.L.A.)
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chris Ulens
- Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.P.); (W.M.S.); (L.L.A.)
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (G.P.); (W.M.S.); (L.L.A.)
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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6
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Terzioglu S, Bittenbinder MA, Slagboom J, van de Velde B, Casewell NR, Kool J. Analytical Size Exclusion Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry in Parallel with High-Throughput Venomics and Bioassaying for Venom Profiling. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:552. [PMID: 37755978 PMCID: PMC10534738 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15090552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern analytical size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is a suitable technique to separate venom toxin families according to their size characteristics. In this study, a method was developed to separate intact venom toxins from Bungarus multicinctus and Daboia russelii venoms via analytical SEC using volatile, non-salt-containing eluents for post-column mass spectrometry, coagulation bioassaying and high-throughput venomics. Two venoms were used to demonstrate the method developed. While the venom of Bungaurs multicinctus is known to exert anticoagulant effects on plasma, in this study, we showed the existence of both procoagulant toxins and anticoagulant toxins. For Daboia russelii venom, the method revealed characteristic procoagulant effects, with a 90 kDa mass toxin detected and matched with the Factor X-activating procoagulant heterotrimeric glycoprotein named RVV-X. The strong procoagulant effects for this toxin show that it was most likely eluted from size exclusion chromatography non-denatured. In conclusion, the separation of snake venom by size gave the opportunity to separate some specific toxin families from each other non-denatured, test these for functional bioactivities, detect the eluting mass on-line via mass spectrometry and identify the eluted toxins using high-throughput venomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sedef Terzioglu
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mátyás A. Bittenbinder
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bas van de Velde
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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7
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Bittenbinder MA, Capinha L, Da Costa Pereira D, Slagboom J, van de Velde B, Casewell NR, Jennings P, Kool J, Vonk FJ. Development of a high-throughput in vitro screening method for the assessment of cell-damaging activities of snake venoms. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011564. [PMID: 37590328 PMCID: PMC10465002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming is a globally important public health issue that has devastating consequences on human health and well-being, with annual mortality rates between 81,000 and 138,000. Snake venoms may cause different pathological effects by altering normal physiological processes such as nervous transfer and blood coagulation. In addition, snake venoms can cause severe (local) tissue damage that may result in life-long morbidities, with current estimates pointing towards an additional 450,000 individuals that suffer from permanent disabilities such as amputations, contractions and blindness. Despite such high morbidity rates, research to date has been mainly focusing on neurotoxic and haemotoxic effects of snake venoms and considerably less on venom-induced tissue damage. The molecular mechanisms underlaying this pathology include membrane disruption and extracellular matrix degradation. This research describes methods used to study the (molecular) mechanisms underlaying venom-induced cell- and tissue damage. A selection of cellular bioassays and fluorescent microscopy were used to study cell-damaging activities of snake venoms in multi-well plates, using both crude and fractionated venoms. A panel of 10 representative medically relevant snake species was used, which cover a large part of the geographical regions most heavily affected by snakebite. The study comprises both morphological data as well as quantitative data on cell metabolism and viability, which were measured over time. Based on this data, a distinction could be made in the ways by which viper and elapid venoms exert their effects on cells. We further made an effort to characterise the bioactive compounds causing these effects, using a combination of liquid chromatography methods followed by bioassaying and protein identification using proteomics. The outcomes of this study might prove valuable for better understanding venom-induced cell- and tissue-damaging pathologies and could be used in the process of developing and improving snakebite treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matyas A. Bittenbinder
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- AIMMS, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Liliana Capinha
- Division of Molecular and Computational Toxicology, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Da Costa Pereira
- Division of Molecular and Computational Toxicology, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- AIMMS, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bas van de Velde
- AIMMS, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Jennings
- Division of Molecular and Computational Toxicology, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Kool
- AIMMS, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freek J. Vonk
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- AIMMS, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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8
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Cavalcante JS, de Almeida DEG, Santos-Filho NA, Sartim MA, de Almeida Baldo A, Brasileiro L, Albuquerque PL, Oliveira SS, Sachett JAG, Monteiro WM, Ferreira RS. Crosstalk of Inflammation and Coagulation in Bothrops Snakebite Envenoming: Endogenous Signaling Pathways and Pathophysiology. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11508. [PMID: 37511277 PMCID: PMC10380640 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming represents a major health problem in tropical and subtropical countries. Considering the elevated number of accidents and high morbidity and mortality rates, the World Health Organization reclassified this disease to category A of neglected diseases. In Latin America, Bothrops genus snakes are mainly responsible for snakebites in humans, whose pathophysiology is characterized by local and systemic inflammatory and degradative processes, triggering prothrombotic and hemorrhagic events, which lead to various complications, organ damage, tissue loss, amputations, and death. The activation of the multicellular blood system, hemostatic alterations, and activation of the inflammatory response are all well-documented in Bothrops envenomings. However, the interface between inflammation and coagulation is still a neglected issue in the toxinology field. Thromboinflammatory pathways can play a significant role in some of the major complications of snakebite envenoming, such as stroke, venous thromboembolism, and acute kidney injury. In addition to exacerbating inflammation and cell interactions that trigger vaso-occlusion, ischemia-reperfusion processes, and, eventually, organic damage and necrosis. In this review, we discuss the role of inflammatory pathways in modulating coagulation and inducing platelet and leukocyte activation, as well as the inflammatory production mediators and induction of innate immune responses, among other mechanisms that are altered by Bothrops venoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joeliton S Cavalcante
- Graduate Program in Tropical Diseases, Botucatu Medical School (FMB), São Paulo State University (UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista), Botucatu 18618-687, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Denis Emanuel Garcia de Almeida
- Department of Bioprocess and Biotechnology, School of Agriculture, Agronomic Sciences School, São Paulo State University (UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista), Botucatu 18618-687, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Norival A Santos-Filho
- Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista), Araraquara 14800-900, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco Aurélio Sartim
- Laboratory of Bioprospection, University Nilton Lins, Manaus 69058-030, Amazonas, Brazil
- Research & Development Department, Nilton Lins Foundation, Manaus 69058-030, Amazonas, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Tropical Medicine, Department of Research at Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Amazonas State University, Manaus 69850-000, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Amanda de Almeida Baldo
- Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista), Botucatu 18618-687, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lisele Brasileiro
- Graduate Program in Tropical Medicine, Department of Research at Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Amazonas State University, Manaus 69850-000, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Polianna L Albuquerque
- Toxicological Information and Assistance Center, Instituto Doutor Jose Frota Hospital, Fortaleza 60025-061, Ceará, Brazil
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Fortaleza, Fortaleza 60430-140, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Sâmella S Oliveira
- Research Management, Hospital Foundation of Hematology and Hemotherapy of Amazonas, Manaus 69050-001, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Jacqueline Almeida Gonçalves Sachett
- Research & Development Department, Nilton Lins Foundation, Manaus 69058-030, Amazonas, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Tropical Medicine, Department of Research at Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Amazonas State University, Manaus 69850-000, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro
- Research & Development Department, Nilton Lins Foundation, Manaus 69058-030, Amazonas, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Tropical Medicine, Department of Research at Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Amazonas State University, Manaus 69850-000, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Rui Seabra Ferreira
- Graduate Program in Tropical Diseases, Botucatu Medical School (FMB), São Paulo State University (UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista), Botucatu 18618-687, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center for Translational Science and Development of Biopharmaceuticals FAPESP/CEVAP-UNESP, Botucatu 18610-307, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals (CEVAP), São Paulo State University (UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista), Botucatu 18610-307, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Bittenbinder MA, Bergkamp ND, Slagboom J, Bebelman JPM, Casewell NR, Siderius MH, Smit MJ, Kool J, Vonk FJ. Monitoring Snake Venom-Induced Extracellular Matrix Degradation and Identifying Proteolytically Active Venom Toxins Using Fluorescently Labeled Substrates. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:765. [PMID: 37372050 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming is an important public health issue with devastating consequences and annual mortality rates that range between 81,000 and 138,000. Snake venoms may cause a range of pathophysiological effects affecting the nervous system and the cardiovascular system. Moreover, snake venom may have tissue-damaging activities that result in lifelong morbidities such as amputations, muscle degeneration, and organ malfunctioning. The tissue-damaging components in snake venoms comprise multiple toxin classes with various molecular targets including cellular membranes and the extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, we present multiple assay formats that enable investigation of snake venom-induced ECM degradation using a variety of (dye-quenched) fluorescently labeled ECM components. Using a combinatorial approach, we were able to characterise different proteolytic profiles for different medically relevant snake venoms, followed by identification of the responsible components within the snake venoms. This workflow could provide valuable insights into the key mechanisms by which proteolytic venom components exert their effects and could therefore prove useful for the development of effective snakebite treatments against this severe pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mátyás A Bittenbinder
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
- Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nick D Bergkamp
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Paul M Bebelman
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Marco H Siderius
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martine J Smit
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freek J Vonk
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
- Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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10
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Lüddecke T, Paas A, Harris RJ, Talmann L, Kirchhoff KN, Billion A, Hardes K, Steinbrink A, Gerlach D, Fry BG, Vilcinskas A. Venom biotechnology: casting light on nature's deadliest weapons using synthetic biology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1166601. [PMID: 37207126 PMCID: PMC10188951 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1166601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Venoms are complex chemical arsenals that have evolved independently many times in the animal kingdom. Venoms have attracted the interest of researchers because they are an important innovation that has contributed greatly to the evolutionary success of many animals, and their medical relevance offers significant potential for drug discovery. During the last decade, venom research has been revolutionized by the application of systems biology, giving rise to a novel field known as venomics. More recently, biotechnology has also made an increasing impact in this field. Its methods provide the means to disentangle and study venom systems across all levels of biological organization and, given their tremendous impact on the life sciences, these pivotal tools greatly facilitate the coherent understanding of venom system organization, development, biochemistry, and therapeutic activity. Even so, we lack a comprehensive overview of major advances achieved by applying biotechnology to venom systems. This review therefore considers the methods, insights, and potential future developments of biotechnological applications in the field of venom research. We follow the levels of biological organization and structure, starting with the methods used to study the genomic blueprint and genetic machinery of venoms, followed gene products and their functional phenotypes. We argue that biotechnology can answer some of the most urgent questions in venom research, particularly when multiple approaches are combined together, and with other venomics technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- *Correspondence: Tim Lüddecke,
| | - Anne Paas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Richard J. Harris
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences (IMB), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lea Talmann
- Syngenta Crop Protection, Stein, Switzerland
| | - Kim N. Kirchhoff
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - André Billion
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- BMBF Junior Research Group in Infection Research “ASCRIBE”, Giessen, Germany
| | - Antje Steinbrink
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Doreen Gerlach
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
| | - Bryan G. Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Department of Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Giessen, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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11
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Arrahman A, Kazandjian TD, Still KBM, Slagboom J, Somsen GW, Vonk FJ, Casewell NR, Kool J. A Combined Bioassay and Nanofractionation Approach to Investigate the Anticoagulant Toxins of Mamba and Cobra Venoms and Their Inhibition by Varespladib. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:736. [PMID: 36355986 PMCID: PMC9695013 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14110736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Envenomation by elapid snakes primarily results in neurotoxic symptoms and, consequently, are the primary focus of therapeutic research concerning such venoms. However, mounting evidence suggests these venoms can additionally cause coagulopathic symptoms, as demonstrated by some Asian elapids and African spitting cobras. This study sought to investigate the coagulopathic potential of venoms from medically important elapids of the genera Naja (true cobras), Hemachatus (rinkhals), and Dendroaspis (mambas). Crude venoms were bioassayed for coagulant effects using a plasma coagulation assay before RPLC/MS was used to separate and identify venom toxins in parallel with a nanofractionation module. Subsequently, coagulation bioassays were performed on the nanofractionated toxins, along with in-solution tryptic digestion and proteomics analysis. These experiments were then repeated on both crude venoms and on the nanofractionated venom toxins with the addition of either the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor varespladib or the snake venom metalloproteinase (SVMP) inhibitor marimastat. Our results demonstrate that various African elapid venoms have an anticoagulant effect, and that this activity is significantly reduced for cobra venoms by the addition of varespladib, though this inhibitor had no effect against anticoagulation caused by mamba venoms. Marimastat showed limited capacity to reduce anticoagulation in elapids, affecting only N. haje and H. haemachatus venom at higher doses. Proteomic analysis of nanofractionated toxins revealed that the anticoagulant toxins in cobra venoms were both acidic and basic PLA2s, while the causative toxins in mamba venoms remain uncertain. This implies that while PLA2 inhibitors such as varespladib and metalloproteinase inhibitors such as marimastat are viable candidates for novel snakebite treatments, they are not likely to be effective against mamba envenomings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arif Arrahman
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Indonesia, Kampus Baru UI, Depok 16424, Indonesia
| | - Taline D. Kazandjian
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Kristina B. M. Still
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Govert W. Somsen
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freek J. Vonk
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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12
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Offor BC, Muller B, Piater LA. A Review of the Proteomic Profiling of African Viperidae and Elapidae Snake Venoms and Their Antivenom Neutralisation. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:723. [PMID: 36355973 PMCID: PMC9694588 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14110723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that results from the injection of snake venom of a venomous snake into animals and humans. In Africa (mainly in sub-Saharan Africa), over 100,000 envenomings and over 10,000 deaths per annum from snakebite have been reported. Difficulties in snakebite prevention and antivenom treatment are believed to result from a lack of epidemiological data and underestimated figures on snakebite envenoming-related morbidity and mortality. There are species- and genus-specific variations associated with snake venoms in Africa and across the globe. These variations contribute massively to diverse differences in venom toxicity and pathogenicity that can undermine the efficacy of adopted antivenom therapies used in the treatment of snakebite envenoming. There is a need to profile all snake venom proteins of medically important venomous snakes endemic to Africa. This is anticipated to help in the development of safer and more effective antivenoms for the treatment of snakebite envenoming within the continent. In this review, the proteomes of 34 snake venoms from the most medically important snakes in Africa, namely the Viperidae and Elipdae, were extracted from the literature. The toxin families were grouped into dominant, secondary, minor, and others based on the abundance of the protein families in the venom proteomes. The Viperidae venom proteome was dominated by snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs-41%), snake venom serine proteases (SVSPs-16%), and phospholipase A2 (PLA2-17%) protein families, while three-finger toxins (3FTxs-66%) and PLA2s (16%) dominated those of the Elapidae. We further review the neutralisation of these snake venoms by selected antivenoms widely used within the African continent. The profiling of African snake venom proteomes will aid in the development of effective antivenom against snakebite envenoming and, additionally, could possibly reveal therapeutic applications of snake venom proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict C. Offor
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
| | - Beric Muller
- South Africa Venom Suppliers CC, Louis Trichardt 0920, South Africa
| | - Lizelle A. Piater
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
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13
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Polymerase chain reaction-based snake origin tracing in commercial venom crystals by targeting the mitochondrial D-loop. Toxicon 2022; 219:106933. [PMID: 36174762 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.106933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Snake venom is a valuable raw material for numerous therapeutic formulations because of its life-saving pharmacological potential. However, due to their high price, fake "snake venoms" have captured a significant portion of the global market, and there is currently no reliable reported DNA-based method available for quickly distinguishing between fakes and originals. Therefore, in this study, a set of newly designed snake-specific universal primers targeting mitochondrial D-loop fragments were employed to detect snake origins in commercial venom crystals by only simplex polymerase chain reaction analysis. Under the optimal thermal cycling conditions, only the 145-149 bp snake-specific mitochondrial D-loop fragments from pure and mixed backgrounds were amplified by the newly designed primers. Specificity was achieved by confirming no DNA amplification occurred in the DNA admixture of ten different chordates, and universality by individual DNA amplification of nine different snakes. The primers that efficiently amplified the minimum mitochondrial DNA contained in a total of 10-2 ng in a 10.0 μl reaction were also successfully able to detect the snake origin in commercial cobra venom crystals. These findings suggest that the newly designed primers can be used to differentiate the original and fake commercial snake venom crystals in order to achieve the highest standards of snake venom-based medications through amplifying the snake-specific mitochondrial D-loop fragments.
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14
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Menzies SK, Clare RH, Xie C, Westhorpe A, Hall SR, Edge RJ, Alsolaiss J, Crittenden E, Marriott AE, Harrison RA, Kool J, Casewell NR. In vitro and in vivo preclinical venom inhibition assays identify metalloproteinase inhibiting drugs as potential future treatments for snakebite envenoming by Dispholidus typus. Toxicon X 2022; 14:100118. [PMID: 35321116 PMCID: PMC8935517 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2022.100118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakebite envenoming affects more than 250,000 people annually in sub-Saharan Africa. Envenoming by Dispholidus typus (boomslang) results in venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC), whereby highly abundant prothrombin-activating snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) consume clotting factors and deplete fibrinogen. The only available treatment for D. typus envenoming is the monovalent SAIMR Boomslang antivenom. Treatment options are urgently required because this antivenom is often difficult to source and, at US$6000/vial, typically unaffordable for most snakebite patients. We therefore investigated the in vitro and in vivo preclinical efficacy of four SVMP inhibitors to neutralise the effects of D. typus venom; the matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors marimastat and prinomastat, and the metal chelators dimercaprol and DMPS. The venom of D. typus exhibited an SVMP-driven procoagulant phenotype in vitro. Marimastat and prinomastat demonstrated equipotent inhibition of the SVMP-mediated procoagulant activity of the venom in vitro, whereas dimercaprol and DMPS showed considerably lower potency. However, when tested in preclinical murine models of envenoming using mixed sex CD1 mice, DMPS and marimastat demonstrated partial protection against venom lethality, demonstrated by prolonged survival times of experimental animals, whereas dimercaprol and prinomastat failed to confer any protection at the doses tested. The preclinical results presented here demonstrate that DMPS and marimastat show potential as novel small molecule-based therapeutics for D. typus snakebite envenoming. These two drugs have been previously shown to be effective against Echis ocellatus VICC in preclinical models, and thus we conclude that marimastat and DMPS should be further explored as potentially valuable early intervention therapeutics to broadly treat VICC following snakebite envenoming in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie K. Menzies
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
| | - Rachel H. Clare
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
| | - Chunfang Xie
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Adam Westhorpe
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
| | - Steven R. Hall
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
| | - Rebecca J. Edge
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
| | - Jaffer Alsolaiss
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
| | - Edouard Crittenden
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
| | - Amy E. Marriott
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
| | - Robert A. Harrison
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, England, UK
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15
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16
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Jucá TL, Ramos MV, Cilli EM, Neto AEV, Mackessy SP, Monteiro-Moreira ACO. Insights on the inhibition properties of Jatromollistatin (a cyclic heptapeptide) against Crotalus adamanteus metalloendopeptidase using molecular docking analysis. J Mol Recognit 2022; 35:e2957. [PMID: 35218251 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Jatropha mollissima is endemic to Brazil and is used for traditional medicinal purposes, including the treatment of snakebite. In this study, latex obtained from this plant was fractioned using reversed-phase chromatography, and the fractions were then screened for peptides. A 755 Da peptide was obtained, and MS/MS analyses indicated it had a cyclic sequence (Pro-Leu-Gly-Val-Leu-Leu-Tyr). This peptide sequence was present in the Jatropha genome database, and an identity value of 90.71%, an E-value of 0.0 and a score of 883 with NO-associated protein 1/chloroplastic/mitochondria of Jatropha curcas were obtained from the NCBI non-redundant protein sequence (nr) database. Molecular docking analyses performed with the peptide against a metalloendopeptidase belonging to Crotalus adamanteus snake venom suggested the cyclic peptide establishes favorable interactions with the catalytic site of the enzyme. Therefore, it could inhibit enzyme catalysis. This belief was corroborated by the formation of 6 hydrogen bonds with the linear form of the peptide. Tighter complexation of the cyclic form (41 kcal/mol more energetic) revealed better spatial blocking. The linear form outperformed the cyclic form in complexing the required energy, recruiting more catalytic residues (6/2), and in establishing more hydrogen bonds (6/3). However, cyclic folding provided a more significant spatial block within the catalytic site. The set of results suggests that the cycle peptide, here called Jatromollistatin, which was previously described as jatrophidin and pohlianin A in two other species of Jatropha, is a promising candidate to inhibit venom proteases. This belief is corroborated by the topical use of the latex for initial treatment of snakebites. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Lustosa Jucá
- Experimental Biology Centre (NUBEX), University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR), Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Márcio Viana Ramos
- Federal University of Ceara (UFC), Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil, CEP
| | - Eduardo Maffud Cilli
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Stephen P Mackessy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St., CB 92, Greeley, Colorado
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17
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Hayashi MAF, Campeiro JD, Yonamine CM. Revisiting the potential of South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus toxins as therapeutic, theranostic and/or biotechnological agents. Toxicon 2021; 206:1-13. [PMID: 34896407 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The potential biotechnological and biomedical applications of the animal venom components are widely recognized. Indeed, many components have been used either as drugs or as templates/prototypes for the development of innovative pharmaceutical drugs, among which many are still used for the treatment of human diseases. A specific South American rattlesnake, named Crotalus durissus terrificus, shows a venom composition relatively simpler compared to any viper or other snake species belonging to the Crotalus genus, although presenting a set of toxins with high potential for the treatment of several still unmet human therapeutic needs, as reviewed in this work. In addition to the main toxin named crotoxin, which is under clinical trials studies for antitumoral therapy and which has also anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities, other toxins from the C. d. terrificus venom are also being studied, aiming for a wide variety of therapeutic applications, including as antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antitumoral or antiparasitic agent, or as modulator of animal metabolism, fibrin sealant (fibrin glue), gene carrier or theranostic agent. Among these rattlesnake toxins, the most relevant, considering the potential clinical applications, are crotamine, crotalphine and gyroxin. In this narrative revision, we propose to organize and present briefly the updates in the accumulated knowledge on potential therapeutic applications of toxins collectively found exclusively in the venom of this specific South American rattlesnake, with the objective of contributing to increase the chances of success in the discovery of drugs based on toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil.
| | - Joana D Campeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil
| | - Camila M Yonamine
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), SP, Brazil.
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18
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Chen F, Qin M, Liu W, Wang F, Ren W, Xu H, Li F. Snake Venom Identification via Fluorescent Discrimination. Anal Chem 2021; 93:14025-14030. [PMID: 34528790 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The identification and discrimination of snake venom are highly desired for timely clinical treatment. However, the complex components in snake venom make it a great challenge to achieve rapid and accurate identification. Inspired by the organism's taste sensing system, a fluorescent sensor array that could differentiate snake venoms was fabricated. The interaction of snake venoms with different fluorescent dyes in the sensor array gave rich information, based on which efficient detection of complex snake venom was achieved. The main six proteins of snake venom in the same concentration, different concentrations, and their mixtures were identified with 100% accuracy. Furthermore, seven snake venoms belonging to different snake families were discriminated in PBS buffer and human plasma. Interferents of bovine serum albumin (BSA), thrombin, and transferrin (TRF) demonstrated the practicability of the fluorescent sensor array. This strategy of a multiresponse sensor array provides an effective method for accurate and rapid venom toxicology analysis, benefiting early and timely clinical diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Chen
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, Guangdong Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Graphene-like Materials and Products, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Meng Qin
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China
| | - Wei Liu
- College of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453000, China
| | - Fan Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453000, China
| | - Wanjie Ren
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, Guangdong Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Graphene-like Materials and Products, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Huihua Xu
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, Guangdong Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Graphene-like Materials and Products, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Fengyu Li
- College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Supramolecular Coordination Materials and Applications, Guangdong Engineering & Technology Research Centre of Graphene-like Materials and Products, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
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19
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Local inflammatory mediators alterations induced by Daboia siamensis venom. Toxicon X 2021; 12:100085. [PMID: 34693275 PMCID: PMC8517603 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2021.100085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of Russell's viper (Daboia siamensis) venom (total RVV) and phospholipase A2 (purified PLA2) to induce the local pathological effects were investigated by the local inflammatory events and the release of inflammatory mediators. Both 0.5 μg of total RVV/mouse and 0.15 μg of purified PLA2/mouse were administered via intra-peritoneal injection. After 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 4 h incubation time, the peritoneal cavity was flooded with normal saline and the total leukocytes were collected. The eicosanoids (lipid mediators) and the leukocyte expression of cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) were investigated by ELISA assay and western blotting, respectively. The amounts of total leukocytes were increased from 30 min to 2 h, then decreased at 4 h, by both total RVV and purified PLA2. Both treatments also induced the expression of COX-2 which was increased at 2 h and then decreased at 4 h, whereas only purified PLA2 induced the expression level of a COX-1 protein which was increased at 30 min, then constantly expressed until 4 h. In addition, total RVV and purified PLA2 caused the release of the eicosanoids; PGE2, TXB2, and LTB4, which reached the peak after 2 h. The findings of this study indicate that purified PLA2 has the potential effects to induce the local inflammation relating the amounts of leukocytes cells, lipid mediators and COX-2 more than the total RVV. Purified phospholipase A2 or the venom could induce eicosanoids and cyclooxygenase-2 expression relating to leukocytes cells. Thromboxane B2 could be the important mediator induced by Russell's viper venom and purified phospholipase A2. Russell's viper venom and purified phospholipase A2 involved the cyclooxygenase-2 expression, but not cyclooxygenase-1. The purified phospholipase A2 showed more predominant inflammatory response at site than total Russell's viper venom.
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20
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Puzari U, Fernandes PA, Mukherjee AK. Advances in the Therapeutic Application of Small-Molecule Inhibitors and Repurposed Drugs against Snakebite. J Med Chem 2021; 64:13938-13979. [PMID: 34565143 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The World Health Organization has declared snakebite as a neglected tropical disease. Antivenom administration is the sole therapy against venomous snakebite; however, several limitations of this therapy reinforce the dire need for an alternative and/or additional treatment against envenomation. Inhibitors against snake venoms have been explored from natural resources and are synthesized in the laboratory; however, repurposing of small-molecule therapeutics (SMTs) against the principal toxins of snake venoms to inhibit their lethality and/or obnoxious effect of envenomation has been garnering greater attention owing to their established pharmacokinetic properties, low-risk attributes, cost-effectiveness, ease of administration, and storage stability. Nevertheless, SMTs are yet to be approved and commercialized for snakebite treatment. Therefore, we have systematically reviewed and critically analyzed the scenario of small synthetic inhibitors and repurposed drugs against snake envenomation from 2005 to date and proposed novel approaches and commercialization strategies for the development of efficacious therapies against snake envenomation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upasana Puzari
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur-784028, Assam, India
| | - Pedro Alexandrino Fernandes
- LAQV@REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre S/N, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ashis K Mukherjee
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur-784028, Assam, India.,Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Vigyan Path Garchuk, Paschim Boragaon, Guwahati-781035, Assam, India
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21
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Lüddecke T, Paas A, Talmann L, Kirchhoff KN, von Reumont BM, Billion A, Timm T, Lochnit G, Vilcinskas A. A Spider Toxin Exemplifies the Promises and Pitfalls of Cell-Free Protein Production for Venom Biodiscovery. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13080575. [PMID: 34437446 PMCID: PMC8402385 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13080575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropod venoms offer a promising resource for the discovery of novel bioactive peptides and proteins, but the limited size of most species translates into minuscule venom yields. Bioactivity studies based on traditional fractionation are therefore challenging, so alternative strategies are needed. Cell-free synthesis based on synthetic gene fragments is one of the most promising emerging technologies, theoretically allowing the rapid, laboratory-scale production of specific venom components, but this approach has yet to be applied in venom biodiscovery. Here, we tested the ability of three commercially available cell-free protein expression systems to produce venom components from small arthropods, using U2-sicaritoxin-Sdo1a from the six-eyed sand spider Hexophtalma dolichocephala as a case study. We found that only one of the systems was able to produce an active product in low amounts, as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry, and bioactivity screening on murine neuroblasts. We discuss our findings in relation to the promises and limitations of cell-free synthesis for venom biodiscovery programs in smaller invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Lüddecke
- Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.P.); (K.N.K.); (A.B.); (A.V.)
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 30325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
- Correspondence:
| | - Anne Paas
- Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.P.); (K.N.K.); (A.B.); (A.V.)
| | - Lea Talmann
- Syngenta Crop Protection, Werk Stein, Schaffhauserstrasse, CH4332 Stein, Switzerland;
| | - Kim N. Kirchhoff
- Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.P.); (K.N.K.); (A.B.); (A.V.)
| | - Björn M. von Reumont
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 30325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - André Billion
- Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.P.); (K.N.K.); (A.B.); (A.V.)
| | - Thomas Timm
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Friedrichstr. 24, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (T.T.); (G.L.)
| | - Günter Lochnit
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Friedrichstr. 24, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (T.T.); (G.L.)
| | - Andreas Vilcinskas
- Branch for Bioresources, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Ohlebergsweg 12, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (A.P.); (K.N.K.); (A.B.); (A.V.)
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE-TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 30325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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22
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Xie C, Bittenbinder MA, Slagboom J, Arrahman A, Bruijns S, Somsen GW, Vonk FJ, Casewell NR, García-Vallejo JJ, Kool J. Erythrocyte haemotoxicity profiling of snake venom toxins after nanofractionation. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2021; 1176:122586. [PMID: 33839052 PMCID: PMC7613003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.122586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Snakebite is classified as a priority Neglected Tropical Disease by the World Health Organization. Understanding the pathology of individual snake venom toxins is of great importance when developing more effective snakebite therapies. Snake venoms may induce a range of pathologies, including haemolytic activity. Although snake venom-induced erythrocyte lysis is not the primary cause of mortality, haemolytic activity can greatly debilitate victims and contributes to systemic haemotoxicity. Current assays designed for studying haemolytic activity are not suitable for rapid screening of large numbers of toxic compounds. Consequently, in this study, a high-throughput haemolytic assay was developed that allows profiling of erythrocyte lysis, and was validated using venom from a number of medically important snake species (Calloselasma rhodostoma, Daboia russelii, Naja mossambica, Naja nigricollis and Naja pallida). The assay was developed in a format enabling direct integration into nanofractionation analytics, which involves liquid chromatographic separation of venom followed by high-resolution fractionation and subsequent bioassaying (and optional proteomics analysis), and parallel mass spectrometric detection. Analysis of the five snake venoms via this nanofractionation approach involving haemolytic assaying provided venom-cytotoxicity profiles and enabled identification of the toxins responsible for haemolytic activity. Our results show that the elapid snake venoms (Naja spp.) contained both direct and indirect lytic toxins, while the viperid venoms (C. rhodostoma and D. russelii) only showed indirect lytic activities, which required the addition of phospholipids to exert cytotoxicity on erythrocytes. The haemolytic venom toxins identified were mainly phospholipase A2s and cytotoxic three finger toxins. Finally, the applicability of this new analytical method was demonstrated using a conventional snakebite antivenom treatment and a small-molecule drug candidate to assess neutralisation of venom cytotoxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunfang Xie
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Matyas A Bittenbinder
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arif Arrahman
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sven Bruijns
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Govert W Somsen
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Freek J Vonk
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Juan J García-Vallejo
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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23
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Kazandjian TD, Arrahman A, Still KBM, Somsen GW, Vonk FJ, Casewell NR, Wilkinson MC, Kool J. Anticoagulant Activity of Naja nigricollis Venom Is Mediated by Phospholipase A2 Toxins and Inhibited by Varespladib. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13050302. [PMID: 33922825 PMCID: PMC8145175 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13050302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bites from elapid snakes typically result in neurotoxic symptoms in snakebite victims. Neurotoxins are, therefore, often the focus of research relating to understanding the pathogenesis of elapid bites. However, recent evidence suggests that some elapid snake venoms contain anticoagulant toxins which may help neurotoxic components spread more rapidly. This study examines the effects of venom from the West African black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) on blood coagulation and identifies potential coagulopathic toxins. An integrated RPLC-MS methodology, coupled with nanofractionation, was first used to separate venom components, followed by MS, proteomics and coagulopathic bioassays. Coagulation assays were performed on both crude and nanofractionated N. nigricollis venom toxins as well as PLA2s and 3FTx purified from the venom. Assays were then repeated with the addition of either the phospholipase A2 inhibitor varespladib or the snake venom metalloproteinase inhibitor marimastat to assess whether either toxin inhibitor is capable of neutralizing coagulopathic venom activity. Subsequent proteomic analysis was performed on nanofractionated bioactive venom toxins using tryptic digestion followed by nanoLC-MS/MS measurements, which were then identified using Swiss-Prot and species-specific database searches. Varespladib, but not marimastat, was found to significantly reduce the anticoagulant activity of N. nigricollis venom and MS and proteomics analyses confirmed that the anticoagulant venom components mostly consisted of PLA2 proteins. We, therefore, conclude that PLA2s are the most likely candidates responsible for anticoagulant effects stimulated by N. nigricollis venom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taline D. Kazandjian
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; (T.D.K.); (N.R.C.)
| | - Arif Arrahman
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.A.); (K.B.M.S.); (G.W.S.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Kampus Baru UI, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia
| | - Kristina B. M. Still
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.A.); (K.B.M.S.); (G.W.S.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Govert W. Somsen
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.A.); (K.B.M.S.); (G.W.S.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freek J. Vonk
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333CR Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; (T.D.K.); (N.R.C.)
| | - Mark C. Wilkinson
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; (T.D.K.); (N.R.C.)
- Correspondence: (M.C.W.); (J.K.)
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.A.); (K.B.M.S.); (G.W.S.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1012WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (M.C.W.); (J.K.)
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24
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Seneci L, Zdenek CN, Chowdhury A, Rodrigues CFB, Neri-Castro E, Bénard-Valle M, Alagón A, Fry BG. A Clot Twist: Extreme Variation in Coagulotoxicity Mechanisms in Mexican Neotropical Rattlesnake Venoms. Front Immunol 2021; 12:612846. [PMID: 33815366 PMCID: PMC8011430 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.612846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Rattlesnakes are a diverse clade of pit vipers (snake family Viperidae, subfamily Crotalinae) that consists of numerous medically significant species. We used validated in vitro assays measuring venom-induced clotting time and strength of any clots formed in human plasma and fibrinogen to assess the coagulotoxic activity of the four medically relevant Mexican rattlesnake species Crotalus culminatus, C. mictlantecuhtli, C. molossus, and C. tzabcan. We report the first evidence of true procoagulant activity by Neotropical rattlesnake venom in Crotalus culminatus. This species presented a strong ontogenetic coagulotoxicity dichotomy: neonates were strongly procoagulant via Factor X activation, whereas adults were pseudo-procoagulant in that they converted fibrinogen into weak, unstable fibrin clots that rapidly broke down, thereby likely contributing to net anticoagulation through fibrinogen depletion. The other species did not activate clotting factors or display an ontogenetic dichotomy, but depleted fibrinogen levels by cleaving fibrinogen either in a destructive (non-clotting) manner or via a pseudo-procoagulant mechanism. We also assessed the neutralization of these venoms by available antivenom and enzyme-inhibitors to provide knowledge for the design of evidence-based treatment strategies for envenomated patients. One of the most frequently used Mexican antivenoms (Bioclon Antivipmyn®) failed to neutralize the potent procoagulant toxic action of neonate C. culminatus venom, highlighting limitations in snakebite treatment for this species. However, the metalloprotease inhibitor Prinomastat substantially thwarted the procoagulant venom activity, while 2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (DMPS) was much less effective. These results confirm that venom-induced Factor X activation (a procoagulant action) is driven by metalloproteases, while also suggesting Prinomastat as a more promising potential adjunct treatment than DMPS for this species (with the caveat that in vivo studies are necessary to confirm this potential clinical use). Conversely, the serine protease inhibitor 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride (AEBSF) inhibited the direct fibrinogen cleaving actions of C. mictlantecuhtli venom, thereby revealing that the pseudo-procoagulant action is driven by kallikrein-type serine proteases. Thus, this differential ontogenetic variation in coagulotoxicity patterns poses intriguing questions. Our results underscore the need for further research into Mexican rattlesnake venom activity, and also highlights potential limitations of current antivenom treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Seneci
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Abhinandan Chowdhury
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Caroline F B Rodrigues
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Laboratório de Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edgar Neri-Castro
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Melisa Bénard-Valle
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Alagón
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Venom Evolution Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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25
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Puschhof J, Post Y, Beumer J, Kerkkamp HM, Bittenbinder M, Vonk FJ, Casewell NR, Richardson MK, Clevers H. Derivation of snake venom gland organoids for in vitro venom production. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:1494-1510. [PMID: 33504990 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-00463-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
More than 400,000 people each year suffer adverse effects following bites from venomous snakes. However, snake venom is also a rich source of bioactive molecules with known or potential therapeutic applications. Manually 'milking' snakes is the most common method to obtain venom. Safer alternative methods to produce venom would facilitate the production of both antivenom and novel therapeutics. This protocol describes the generation, maintenance and selected applications of snake venom gland organoids. Snake venom gland organoids are 3D culture models that can be derived within days from embryonic or adult venom gland tissues from several snake species and can be maintained long-term (we have cultured some organoids for more than 2 years). We have successfully used the protocol with glands from late-stage embryos and recently deceased adult snakes. The cellular heterogeneity of the venom gland is maintained in the organoids, and cell type composition can be controlled through changes in media composition. We describe in detail how to derive and grow the organoids, how to dissociate them into single cells, and how to cryopreserve and differentiate them into toxin-producing organoids. We also provide guidance on useful downstream assays, specifically quantitative real-time PCR, bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and genetic engineering. This stepwise protocol can be performed in any laboratory with tissue culture equipment and enables studies of venom production, differentiation and cellular heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Puschhof
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Yorick Post
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Joep Beumer
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Harald M Kerkkamp
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Institute of Biology Leiden, Department of Animal Science and Health, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Matyas Bittenbinder
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute for Molecules Medicines and Systems, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Freek J Vonk
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Michael K Richardson
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Department of Animal Science and Health, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands. .,Oncode Institute, Hubrecht Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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26
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Chowdhury A, Zdenek CN, Dobson JS, Bourke LA, Soria R, Fry BG. Clinical implications of differential procoagulant toxicity of the palearctic viperid genus Macrovipera, and the relative neutralization efficacy of antivenoms and enzyme inhibitors. Toxicol Lett 2021; 340:77-88. [PMID: 33412251 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Species within the viperid genus Macrovipera are some of the most dangerous snakes in the Eurasian region, injecting copious amounts of potent venom. Despite their medical importance, the pathophysiological actions of their venoms have been neglected. Particularly poorly known are the coagulotoxic effects and thus the underlying mechanisms of lethal coagulopathy. In order to fill this knowledge gap, we ascertained the effects of venom upon human plasma for Macrovipera lebetina cernovi, M. l. lebetina, M. l. obtusa, M. l. turanica, and M. schweizeri using diverse coagulation analysing protocols. All five were extremely potent in their ability to promote clotting but varied in their relative activation of Factor X, being equipotent in this study to the venom of the better studied, and lethal, species Daboia russelii. The Insoserp European viper antivenom was shown to be highly effective against all the Macrovipera venoms, but performed poorly against the D. russelii venom. Reciprocally, while Daboia antivenoms performed well against D. russelii venom, they failed against Macrovipera venom. Thus despite the two genera sharing a venom phenotype (Factor X activation) driven by the same toxin type (P-IIId snake venom metalloproteases), the surface biochemistries of the toxins differed significantly enough to impede antivenom cross- neutralization. The differences in venom biochemistry were reflected in coagulation co-factor dependence. While both genera were absolutely dependent upon calcium for the activation of Factor X, dependence upon phospholipid varied. The Macrovipera venoms had low levels of dependence upon phospholipid while the Daboia venom was three times more dependent upon phospholipid for the activation of Factor X. This suggests that the sites on the molecular surface responsible for phospholipid dependence, are the same differential sites that prevent inter-genera antivenom cross- neutralization. Due to cold-chain requirements, antivenoms may not be stocked in rural settings where the need is at the greatest. Thus we tested the efficacy of enzyme inhibitor Prinomastat as a field-deployable treatment to stabilise patients while being transported to antivenom stocks, and showed that it was extremely effective in blocking the Factor X activating pathophysiological actions. Marimastat however was less effective. These results thus not only shed light on the coagulopathic mechanisms of Macrovipera venoms, but also provide data critical for evidence-based design of snakebite management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinandan Chowdhury
- Toxin Evolution Lab, School of Biological Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia; Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology, North South University, Dhaka, 1229, Bangladesh
| | - Christina N Zdenek
- Toxin Evolution Lab, School of Biological Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - James S Dobson
- Toxin Evolution Lab, School of Biological Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Lachlan A Bourke
- Toxin Evolution Lab, School of Biological Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Raul Soria
- Inosan Biopharma, S.A. Arbea Campus Empresarial, Edificio 2, Planta 2, Carretera Fuencarral a Alcobendas, Km 3.8, 28108, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bryan G Fry
- Toxin Evolution Lab, School of Biological Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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27
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Albulescu LO, Xie C, Ainsworth S, Alsolaiss J, Crittenden E, Dawson CA, Softley R, Bartlett KE, Harrison RA, Kool J, Casewell NR. A therapeutic combination of two small molecule toxin inhibitors provides broad preclinical efficacy against viper snakebite. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6094. [PMID: 33323937 PMCID: PMC7738508 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19981-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Snakebite is a medical emergency causing high mortality and morbidity in rural tropical communities that typically experience delayed access to unaffordable therapeutics. Viperid snakes are responsible for the majority of envenomings, but extensive interspecific variation in venom composition dictates that different antivenom treatments are used in different parts of the world, resulting in clinical and financial snakebite management challenges. Here, we show that a number of repurposed Phase 2-approved small molecules are capable of broadly neutralizing distinct viper venom bioactivities in vitro by inhibiting different enzymatic toxin families. Furthermore, using murine in vivo models of envenoming, we demonstrate that a single dose of a rationally-selected dual inhibitor combination consisting of marimastat and varespladib prevents murine lethality caused by venom from the most medically-important vipers of Africa, South Asia and Central America. Our findings support the translation of combinations of repurposed small molecule-based toxin inhibitors as broad-spectrum therapeutics for snakebite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura-Oana Albulescu
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Chunfang Xie
- Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stuart Ainsworth
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jaffer Alsolaiss
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Edouard Crittenden
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Charlotte A Dawson
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rowan Softley
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Keirah E Bartlett
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Robert A Harrison
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK.
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, L3 5QA, Liverpool, UK.
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28
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Abd El-Aziz TM, Soares AG, Stockand JD. Advances in venomics: Modern separation techniques and mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2020; 1160:122352. [PMID: 32971366 PMCID: PMC8174749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2020.122352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Snake venoms are complex chemical mixtures of biologically active proteins and non-protein components. Toxins have a wide range of targets and effects to include ion channels and membrane receptors, and platelet aggregation and platelet plug formation. Toxins target these effectors and effects at high affinity and selectivity. From a pharmacological perspective, snake venom compounds are a valuable resource for drug discovery and development. However, a major challenge to drug discovery using snake venoms is isolating and analyzing the bioactive proteins and peptides in these complex mixtures. Getting molecular information from complex mixtures such as snake venoms requires proteomic analyses, generally combined with transcriptomic analyses of venom glands. The present review summarizes current knowledge and highlights important recent advances in venomics with special emphasis on contemporary separation techniques and bioinformatics that have begun to elaborate the complexity of snake venoms. Several analytical techniques such as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, RP-HPLC, size exclusion chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, MALDI-TOF-MS, and LC-ESI-QTOF-MS have been employed in this regard. The improvement of separation approaches such as multidimensional-HPLC, 2D-electrophoresis coupled to soft-ionization (MALDI and ESI) mass spectrometry has been critical to obtain an accurate picture of the startling complexity of venoms. In the case of bioinformatics, a variety of software tools such as PEAKS also has been used successfully. Such information gleaned from venomics is important to both predicting and resolving the biological activity of the active components of venoms, which in turn is key for the development of new drugs based on these venom components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA; Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61519, Egypt.
| | - Antonio G Soares
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA
| | - James D Stockand
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA
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29
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Xie C, Slagboom J, Albulescu LO, Somsen GW, Vonk FJ, Casewell NR, Kool J. Neutralising effects of small molecule toxin inhibitors on nanofractionated coagulopathic Crotalinae snake venoms. Acta Pharm Sin B 2020; 10:1835-1845. [PMID: 33163338 PMCID: PMC7606088 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2020.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Repurposing small molecule drugs and drug candidates is considered as a promising approach to revolutionise the treatment of snakebite envenoming. In this study, we investigated the inhibiting effects of the small molecules varespladib (nonspecific phospholipase A2 inhibitor), marimastat (broad spectrum matrix metalloprotease inhibitor) and dimercaprol (metal ion chelator) against coagulopathic toxins found in Crotalinae (pit vipers) snake venoms. Venoms from Bothrops asper, Bothrops jararaca, Calloselasma rhodostoma and Deinagkistrodon acutus were separated by liquid chromatography, followed by nanofractionation and mass spectrometry identification undertaken in parallel. Nanofractions of the venom toxins were then subjected to a high-throughput coagulation assay in the presence of different concentrations of the small molecules under study. Anticoagulant venom toxins were mostly identified as phospholipases A2, while procoagulant venom activities were mainly associated with snake venom metalloproteinases and snake venom serine proteases. Varespladib was found to effectively inhibit most anticoagulant venom effects, and also showed some inhibition against procoagulant toxins. Contrastingly, marimastat and dimercaprol were both effective inhibitors of procoagulant venom activities but showed little inhibitory capability against anticoagulant toxins. The information obtained from this study aids our understanding of the mechanisms of action of toxin inhibitor drug candidates, and highlights their potential as future snakebite treatments.
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Key Words
- ACN, acetonitrile
- Antivenom
- CTL, C-type lectins
- Chelators
- DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide
- Dimercaprol
- FA, formic acid
- HTS, high-throughput screening
- LC, liquid chromatography
- MS, mass spectrometry
- Marimastat
- NOI, no observed inhibition
- Nanofractionation
- PBS, phosphate buffered saline
- PLA2, phospholipase A2
- PN, partly neutralised at 20 μmol/L inhibitor concentrations
- SVMP, snake venom metalloproteinase
- SVSP, snake venom serine protease
- Snakebite
- TIC, total ion current
- Varespladib
- WHO, World Health Organization
- XIC, extracted ion current
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunfang Xie
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Laura-Oana Albulescu
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Govert W. Somsen
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Freek J. Vonk
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden 2333 CR, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081HV, The Netherlands
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
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30
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Still KB, Slagboom J, Kidwai S, Xie C, Zhao Y, Eisses B, Jiang Z, Vonk FJ, Somsen GW, Casewell NR, Kool J. Development of high-throughput screening assays for profiling snake venom phospholipase A2 activity after chromatographic fractionation. Toxicon 2020; 184:28-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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31
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Xie C, Albulescu LO, Bittenbinder MA, Somsen GW, Vonk FJ, Casewell NR, Kool J. Neutralizing Effects of Small Molecule Inhibitors and Metal Chelators on Coagulopathic Viperinae Snake Venom Toxins. Biomedicines 2020; 8:E297. [PMID: 32825484 PMCID: PMC7555180 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8090297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal-derived antivenoms are the only specific therapies currently available for the treatment of snake envenoming, but these products have a number of limitations associated with their efficacy, safety and affordability for use in tropical snakebite victims. Small molecule drugs and drug candidates are regarded as promising alternatives for filling the critical therapeutic gap between snake envenoming and effective treatment. In this study, by using an advanced analytical technique that combines chromatography, mass spectrometry and bioassaying, we investigated the effect of several small molecule inhibitors that target phospholipase A2 (varespladib) and snake venom metalloproteinase (marimastat, dimercaprol and DMPS) toxin families on inhibiting the activities of coagulopathic toxins found in Viperinae snake venoms. The venoms of Echis carinatus, Echis ocellatus, Daboia russelii and Bitis arietans, which are known for their potent haemotoxicities, were fractionated in high resolution onto 384-well plates using liquid chromatography followed by coagulopathic bioassaying of the obtained fractions. Bioassay activities were correlated to parallel recorded mass spectrometric and proteomics data to assign the venom toxins responsible for coagulopathic activity and assess which of these toxins could be neutralized by the inhibitors under investigation. Our results showed that the phospholipase A2-inhibitor varespladib neutralized the vast majority of anticoagulation activities found across all of the tested snake venoms. Of the snake venom metalloproteinase inhibitors, marimastat demonstrated impressive neutralization of the procoagulation activities detected in all of the tested venoms, whereas dimercaprol and DMPS could only partially neutralize these activities at the doses tested. Our results provide additional support for the concept that combinations of small molecules, particularly the combination of varespladib with marimastat, serve as a drug-repurposing opportunity to develop new broad-spectrum inhibitor-based therapies for snakebite envenoming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunfang Xie
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (M.A.B.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura-Oana Albulescu
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; (L.-O.A.); (N.R.C.)
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Mátyás A. Bittenbinder
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (M.A.B.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Govert W. Somsen
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (M.A.B.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freek J. Vonk
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (M.A.B.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; (L.-O.A.); (N.R.C.)
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (M.A.B.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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32
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Xie C, Albulescu LO, Still KBM, Slagboom J, Zhao Y, Jiang Z, Somsen GW, Vonk FJ, Casewell NR, Kool J. Varespladib Inhibits the Phospholipase A 2 and Coagulopathic Activities of Venom Components from Hemotoxic Snakes. Biomedicines 2020; 8:E165. [PMID: 32560391 PMCID: PMC7345350 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8060165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzymes are important toxins found in many snake venoms, and they can exhibit a variety of toxic activities including causing hemolysis and/or anticoagulation. In this study, the inhibiting effects of the small molecule PLA2 inhibitor varespladib on snake venom PLA2s was investigated by nanofractionation analytics, which combined chromatography, mass spectrometry (MS), and bioassays. The venoms of the medically important snake species Bothrops asper, Calloselasma rhodostoma, Deinagkistrodon acutus, Daboia russelii, Echis carinatus, Echis ocellatus, and Oxyuranus scutellatus were separated by liquid chromatography (LC) followed by nanofractionation and interrogation of the fractions by a coagulation assay and a PLA2 assay. Next, we assessed the ability of varespladib to inhibit the activity of enzymatic PLA2s and the coagulopathic toxicities induced by fractionated snake venom toxins, and identified these bioactive venom toxins and those inhibited by varespladib by using parallel recorded LC-MS data and proteomics analysis. We demonstrated here that varespladib was not only capable of inhibiting the PLA2 activities of hemotoxic snake venoms, but can also effectively neutralize the coagulopathic toxicities (most profoundly anticoagulation) induced by venom toxins. While varespladib effectively inhibited PLA2 toxins responsible for anticoagulant effects, we also found some evidence that this inhibitory molecule can partially abrogate procoagulant venom effects caused by different toxin families. These findings further emphasize the potential clinical utility of varespladib in mitigating the toxic effects of certain snakebites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunfang Xie
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (K.B.M.S.); (J.S.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura-Oana Albulescu
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; (L.-O.A.); (N.R.C.)
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Kristina B. M. Still
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (K.B.M.S.); (J.S.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Slagboom
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (K.B.M.S.); (J.S.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yumei Zhao
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Huangpu Avenue West 601, Guangzhou 510632, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Zhengjin Jiang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Huangpu Avenue West 601, Guangzhou 510632, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.)
| | - Govert W. Somsen
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (K.B.M.S.); (J.S.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Freek J. Vonk
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (K.B.M.S.); (J.S.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas R. Casewell
- Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; (L.-O.A.); (N.R.C.)
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (C.X.); (K.B.M.S.); (J.S.); (G.W.S.); (F.J.V.)
- Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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