Pharmacological Investigation of CC-LAAO, an L-Amino Acid Oxidase from Cerastes cerastes Snake Venom

Emerging anticancer potential and mechanisms of snake venom toxins: A review

Animal-derived venom, like snake venom, has been proven to be valuable natural resources for the drug development. Previously, snake venom was mainly investigated in its pharmacological activities in regulating coagulation, vasodilation, and cardiovascular function, and several marketed cardiovascular drugs were successfully developed from snake venom. In recent years, snake venom fractions have been demonstrated with anticancer properties of inducing apoptotic and autophagic cell death, restraining proliferation, suppressing angiogenesis, inhibiting cell adhesion and migration, improving immunity, and so on. A number of active anticancer enzymes and peptides have been identified from snake venom toxins, such as L-amino acid oxidases (LAAOs), phospholipase A2 (PLA2), metalloproteinases (MPs), three-finger toxins (3FTxs), serine proteinases (SPs), disintegrins, C-type lectin-like proteins (CTLPs), cell-penetrating peptides, cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs). In this review, we focus on summarizing these snake venom-derived anticancer components on their anticancer activities and underlying mechanisms. We will also discuss their potential to be developed as anticancer drugs in the future.

Bothrops snake venom L-amino acid oxidases impair biofilm formation of clinically relevant bacteria

The present work addressed the abilities of two L-amino acid oxidases isolated from Bothrops moojeni (BmooLAAO-I) and Bothrops jararacussu (BjussuLAAO-II) snake venoms to control the growth and prevent the biofilm formation of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens. Upon S. aureus (ATCC BAA44) and S. aureus (clinical isolates), BmooLAAO-I (MIC = 0.12 and 0.24 μg/mL, respectively) and BjussuLAAO-II (MIC = 0.15 μg/mL) showed a potent bacteriostatic effect. Against E. coli (ATCC BAA198) and E. coli (clinical isolates), BmooLAAO-I (MIC = 15.6 and 62.5 μg/mL, respectively) and BjussuLAAO-II (MIC = 4.88 and 9.76 μg/mL, respectively) presented a lower extent effect. Also, BmooLAAO-I (MICB50 = 0.195 μg/mL) and BjussuLAAO-II (MICB50 = 0.39 μg/mL) inhibited the biofilm formation of S. aureus (clinical isolates) in 88% and 89%, respectively, and in 89% and 53% of E. coli (clinical isolates). Moreover, scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the toxins affected bacterial morphology by increasing the roughness of the cell surface and inhibited the biofilm formation. Furthermore, analysis of the tridimensional structures of the toxins showed that the surface-charge distribution presents a remarkable positive region close to the glycosylation motif, which is more pronounced in BmooLAAO-I than BjussuLAAO-II. This region may assist the interaction with bacterial and biofilm surfaces. Collectively, our findings propose that venom-derived antibiofilm agents are promising biotechnological tools which could provide novel strategies for biofilm-associated infections.

Insights into the mechanisms governing P01 scorpion toxin effect against U87 glioblastoma cells oncogenesis

The emerging concept of small conductance Ca²⁺-activated potassium channels (SK_Ca) as pharmacological target for cancer treatment has significantly increased in recent years. In this study, we isolated the P01 toxin from Androctonus australis (Aa) scorpion venom and investigated its effect on biological properties of glioblastoma U87, breast MDA-MB231 and colon adenocarcinoma LS174 cancer cell lines. Our results showed that P01 was active only on U87 glioblastoma cells. It inhibited their proliferation, adhesion and migration with IC₅₀ values in the micromolar range. We have also shown that P01 reduced the amplitude of the currents recorded in HEK293 cells expressing SK2 channels with an IC₅₀ value of 3 pM, while it had no effect on those expressing SK3 channels. The investigation of the SK_Ca channels expression pattern showed that SK2 transcripts were expressed differently in the three cancer cell lines. Particularly, we highlighted the presence of SK2 isoforms in U87 cells, which could explain and rely on the specific activity of P01 on this cell line. These experimental data highlighted the usefulness of scorpion peptides to decipher the role of SK_Ca channels in the tumorigenesis process, and develop potential therapeutic molecules targeting glioblastoma with high selectivity.