scholarly journals Shedding Lights on Crude Venom from Solitary Foraging Predatory Ant Ectatomma opaciventre: Initial Toxinological Investigation

Toxins ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Lucas Ian Veloso Correia ◽  
Fernanda Van Petten de Vasconcelos Azevedo ◽  
Fernanda Gobbi Amorim ◽  
Sarah Natalie Cirilo Gimenes ◽  
Lorena Polloni ◽  
...  

Some species of primitive predatory ants, despite living in a colony, exercise their hunting collection strategy individually; their venom is painful, paralyzing, digestive, and lethal for their prey, yet the toxins responsible for these effects are poorly known. Ectatomma opaciventre is a previously unrecorded solitary hunting ant from the Brazilian Cerrado. To overcome this hindrance, the present study performed the in vitro enzymatic, biochemical, and biological activities of E. opaciventre to better understand the properties of this venom. Its venom showed several proteins with masses ranging from 1–116 kDa, highlighting the complexity of this venom. Compounds with high enzymatic activity were described, elucidating different enzyme classes present in the venom, with the presence of the first L-amino acid oxidase in Hymenoptera venoms being reported. Its crude venom contributes to a state of blood incoagulability, acting on primary hemostasis, inhibiting collagen-induced platelet aggregation, and operating on the fibrinolysis of loose red clots. Furthermore, the E. opaciventre venom preferentially induced cytotoxic effects on lung cancer cell lines and three different species of Leishmania. These data shed a comprehensive portrait of enzymatic components, biochemical and biological effects in vitro, opening perspectives for bio-pharmacological application of E. opaciventre venom molecules.

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maritza Fernández Culma ◽  
Jaime A Pereañez ◽  
Vitelbina Núñez Rangel ◽  
Bruno Lomonte

Bothrops punctatus is an endangered, semi-arboreal pitviper species distributed in Panamá, Colombia, and Ecuador, whose venom is poorly characterized. In the present work, the protein composition of this venom was profiled using the 'snake venomics' analytical strategy. Decomplexation of the crude venom by RP-HPLC and SDS-PAGE, followed by tandem mass spectrometry of tryptic digests, showed that it consists of proteins assigned to at least nine snake toxin families. Metalloproteinases are predominant in this secretion (41.5% of the total proteins), followed by C-type lectin/lectin-like proteins (16.7%), bradykinin-potentiating peptides (10.7%), phospholipases A2 (9.3%), serine proteinases (5.4%), disintegrins (3.8%), L-amino acid oxidases (3.1%), vascular endothelial growth factors (1.7%), and cysteine-rich secretory proteins (1.2%). Altogether, 6.6% of the proteins were not identified. In vitro, the venom exhibited proteolytic, phospholipase A2, and L-amino acid oxidase activities, as well as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity, in agreement with the obtained proteomic profile. Cytotoxic activity on murine C2C12 myoblasts was negative, suggesting that the majority of venom phospholipases A2 likely belong to the acidic type, which often lack major toxic effects. The protein composition of B. punctatus venom shows a good correlation with toxic activities here and previously reported, and adds further data in support of the wide diversity of strategies that have evolved in snake venoms to subdue prey, as increasingly being revealed by proteomic analyses.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maritza Fernández Culma ◽  
Jaime A Pereañez ◽  
Vitelbina Núñez Rangel ◽  
Bruno Lomonte

Bothrops punctatus is an endangered, semi-arboreal pitviper species distributed in Panamá, Colombia, and Ecuador, whose venom is poorly characterized. In the present work, the protein composition of this venom was profiled using the 'snake venomics' analytical strategy. Decomplexation of the crude venom by RP-HPLC and SDS-PAGE, followed by tandem mass spectrometry of tryptic digests, showed that it consists of proteins assigned to at least nine snake toxin families. Metalloproteinases are predominant in this secretion (41.5% of the total proteins), followed by C-type lectin/lectin-like proteins (16.7%), bradykinin-potentiating peptides (10.7%), phospholipases A2 (9.3%), serine proteinases (5.4%), disintegrins (3.8%), L-amino acid oxidases (3.1%), vascular endothelial growth factors (1.7%), and cysteine-rich secretory proteins (1.2%). Altogether, 6.6% of the proteins were not identified. In vitro, the venom exhibited proteolytic, phospholipase A2, and L-amino acid oxidase activities, as well as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity, in agreement with the obtained proteomic profile. Cytotoxic activity on murine C2C12 myoblasts was negative, suggesting that the majority of venom phospholipases A2 likely belong to the acidic type, which often lack major toxic effects. The protein composition of B. punctatus venom shows a good correlation with toxic activities here and previously reported, and adds further data in support of the wide diversity of strategies that have evolved in snake venoms to subdue prey, as increasingly being revealed by proteomic analyses.


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (06) ◽  
pp. 0993-0997
Author(s):  
Zhao-Yan Li ◽  
Xiao-Wei Wu ◽  
Tie-Fu Yu ◽  
Eric C-Y Lian

SummaryBy means of CM-Sephadex C-25, DEAE-Sephadex A-50, Sephadex G-200, and Sephadex G-75 chromatographies, a lupus anticoagulant like protein (LALP) from Agkistrodon halys brevicaudus was purified. On SDS-PAGE, the purified LALP had a molecular weight of 25,500 daltons under non-reducing condition and 15,000 daltons under reducing condition. The isoelectric point was pH 5.6. Its N terminal amino acid sequencing revealed a mixture of 2 sequences: DCP(P/S)(D/G)WSSYEGH(C/R)Q(Q/K). It was devoid of phospho-lipaseA, fibrino(geno)lytic, 5′-nucleotidase, L-amino acid oxidase, phosphomonoesterase, phosphodiesterase and thrombin-like activities, which were found in crude venom. In the presence of LALP, PT, aPTT, and dRVVT of human plasma were markedly prolonged and its effects were concentration-dependent but time-independent. The inhibitory effect of LALP on the plasma clotting time was enhanced by decreasing phospholipid concentration in TTI test. The individual clotting factor activity was not affected by LALP when higher dilutions of LALP-plasma mixture were used for assay. Russell’s viper venom time was shortened when high phospholipid confirmatory reagent was used. Therefore, the protein has lupus anticoagulant property.


1982 ◽  
Vol 48 (03) ◽  
pp. 277-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Nathan ◽  
A Dvilansky ◽  
T Yirmiyahu ◽  
M Aharon ◽  
A Livne

SummaryEchis colorata bites cause impairment of platelet aggregation and hemostatic disorders. The mechanism by which the snake venom inhibits platelet aggregation was studied. Upon fractionation, aggregation impairment activity and L-amino acid oxidase activity were similarly separated from the crude venom, unlike other venom enzymes. Preparations of L-amino acid oxidase from E.colorata and from Crotalus adamanteus replaced effectively the crude E.colorata venom in impairment of platelet aggregation. Furthermore, different treatments known to inhibit L-amino acid oxidase reduced in parallel the oxidase activity and the impairment potency of both the venom and the enzyme preparation. H2O2 mimicked characteristically the impairment effects of L-amino acid oxidase and the venom. Catalase completely abolished the impairment effects of the enzyme and the venom. It is concluded that hydrogen peroxide formed by the venom L-amino acid oxidase plays a role in affecting platelet aggregation and thus could contribute to the extended bleeding typical to persons bitten by E.colorata.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Mélody Dutot ◽  
Elodie Olivier ◽  
Sophie Fouyet ◽  
Romain Magny ◽  
Karim Hammad ◽  
...  

Phlorotannins are polyphenols occurring exclusively in some species of brown algae, known for numerous biological activities, e.g., antioxidant, antiproliferative, antidiabetic, and antiallergic properties. Their effects on the response of human lung cells to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) has not been characterized. Our objective was to in vitro evaluate the effects of a phlorotannin-rich extract obtained from the brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus on B[a]P cytotoxic effects. The A549 cell line was incubated with B[a]P for 48 and 72 h in the presence or absence of the brown algae extract. Cytochrome P450 activity, activation of P2X7 receptor, F-actin disorganization, and loss of E-cadherin expression were assessed using microplate cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Relative to control, incubation with the brown algae extract was associated with lower B[a]P-induced CYP1 activity, lower P2X7 receptor activation, and lower reactive oxygen species production. The brown algae extract inhibited the alterations of F-actin arrangement and the downregulation of E-cadherin expression. We identified a phlorotannins-rich extract that could be deeper investigated as a cancer chemopreventive agent to block B[a]P-mediated carcinogenesis.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Bo ◽  
Yan Xiong ◽  
Qiyi He ◽  
Xiaodong Yu ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
...  

Abstract The anti-tumor potential of animal toxins has fully attracted the attention of researchers. Snake venoms is a complex mixture of different components and has revealed high toxicity on normal and tumoral tissues or cells. The snake venom L-Amino-acid oxidase (svLAAO) has grown up to be a critical research target in molecular biology sciences and medicine sciences since widespread presence and various biological roles, including antitumor application. We found that Crotalus adamanteus (C. adamanteus) venom LAAO significantly decreased the viability of ovarian cancer cells and caused morphological changes preceded cell death. Cell experiments confirmed that C. adamanteus venom LAAO caused alterations of intrinsic or extrinsic apoptosis pathway-related genes in ovarian cancer cells. Animal experiments and histological analysis also proved that C. adamanteus venom LAAO could effectively inhibit the damage of ovarian cancer to tissues. The major apoptosis induction of C. adamanteus venom LAAO on ovarian cancer cells can be blocked by catalase, suggesting that the cytotoxicity of C. adamanteus venom LAAO on ovarian cancer cells was mainly mediated by H2O2. Our preliminary results revealed that C. adamanteus venom LAAO may induce apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells through the death receptor pathway and mitochondrial pathway. It is inferred that C. adamanteus venom LAAO will be some advantages in New Drug Research and Development of antitumor drugs in the future. Nevertheless, extra studies on the pharmacological actions and molecular mechanism of svLAAO in anti-cancer are necessary in order to better promote its application.


Toxicon ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 20-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kok Keong Tan ◽  
Siok Ghee Ler ◽  
Jayantha Gunaratne ◽  
Boon Huat Bay ◽  
Gopalakrishnakone Ponnampalam

2007 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian T. Johnson

Epidemiological studies showing a protective effect of diets rich in fruits and vegetables against cancer have focused attention on the possibility that biologically-active plant secondary metabolites exert anti-carcinogenic activity. This huge group of compounds, now collectively termed ‘phytochemicals’, provides much of the flavour and colour of edible plants and the beverages derived from them. Many of these compounds also exert anti-carcinogenic effects in animal models of cancer, and much progress has been made in defining their many biological activities at the molecular level. Such mechanisms include the detoxification and enhanced excretion of carcinogens, the suppression of inflammatory processes such as cyclooxygenase-2 expression, inhibition of mitosis and the induction of apoptosis at various stages in the progression and promotion of cancer. However, much of the research on phytochemicals has been conducted in vitro, with little regard to the bioavailability and metabolism of the compounds studied. Many phytochemicals present in plant foods are poorly absorbed by human subjects, and this fraction usually undergoes metabolism and rapid excretion. Some compounds that do exert anti-carcinogenic effects at realistic doses may contribute to the putative benefits of plant foods such as berries, brassica vegetables and tea, but further research with human subjects is required to fully confirm and quantify such benefits. Chemoprevention using pharmacological doses of isolated compounds, or the development of ‘customised’ vegetables, may prove valuable but such strategies require a full risk–benefit analysis based on a thorough understanding of the long-term biological effects of what are often surprisingly active compounds.


Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruslan I. Al-Shekhadat ◽  
Ksenia S. Lopushanskaya ◽  
Álvaro Segura ◽  
José María Gutiérrez ◽  
Juan J. Calvete ◽  
...  

The common European adder, Vipera berus berus, is a medically relevant species, which is widely distributed in Russia and thus, is responsible for most snakebite accidents in Russia. We have investigated the toxic and enzymatic activities and have determined the proteomic composition of its venom. Phospholipases A2 (PLA2, 25.3% of the venom proteome), serine proteinases (SVSP, 16.2%), metalloproteinases (SVMP, 17.2%), vasoactive peptides (bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs), 9.5% and C-type natriuretic peptides (C-NAP, 7.8%), cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP, 8%) and L-amino acid oxidase (LAO, 7.3%) represent the major toxin classes found in V. b. berus (Russia) venom. This study was also designed to assess the in vivo and in vitro preclinical efficacy of the Russian Microgen antivenom in neutralizing the main effects of V. b. berus venom. The results show that this antivenom is capable of neutralizing the lethal, hemorrhagic and PLA2 activities. Third-generation antivenomics was applied to quantify the toxin-recognition landscape and the maximal binding capacity of the antivenom for each component of the venom. The antivenomics analysis revealed that 6.24% of the anti-V. b. berus F(ab’)2 molecules fraction are toxin-binding antibodies, 60% of which represent clinically relevant antivenom molecules.


Toxicon ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Davis Machado Braga ◽  
Alice Maria Costa Martins ◽  
Daniela Nascimento Amora ◽  
Dalgimar Beserra de Menezes ◽  
Marcos Hikari Toyama ◽  
...  

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