Transcriptomic and Proteomic Study on Animal Venom: Looking Forward

A special issue of Toxins (ISSN 2072-6651). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Venoms".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 529

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
BioIndustrial Center, Institute Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
Interests: snake venom; genomic; transcriptome; protein chemistry; antiserum production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Transcriptomic and proteomic studies concerning venom and venom glands constituted a major breakthrough in the characterization and knowledge of global crude venom compositions, and animal venom and venom glands in particular. More than 20 years have passed since the first studies utilized omics technologies, providing the first highthroughput data using these techniques. A critical evaluation of their contributions as well as their limitations may help to guide future research on animal venom toxin biology, with potential application in biomedical research. Novel technologies that can be combined with transcriptomic and proteomic studies are also emerging, providing new tools with the potential for a high impact in envenomation biology, evolution, therapy, the mechanisms implicated in the post-translational modification of these toxins and many other aspects. These would fill the knowledge gap at an accelerated pace. With this in mind, we will review the achievements, present contributions, gaps in the literature, integration and perspectives regarding these technologies for application in animal toxin biology and biomedical research, particularly when combined with new emerging technologies.

Dr. Paulo Lee Ho
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • transcriptome
  • proteome
  • venom composition
  • toxin(s)

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 3236 KiB  
Article
Unveiling Novel Kunitz- and Waprin-Type Toxins in the Micrurus mipartitus Coral Snake Venom Gland: An In Silico Transcriptome Analysis
by Mónica Saldarriaga-Córdoba, Claudia Clavero-León, Paola Rey-Suarez, Vitelbina Nuñez-Rangel, Ruben Avendaño-Herrera, Stefany Solano-González and Juan F. Alzate
Toxins 2024, 16(5), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins16050224 (registering DOI) - 11 May 2024
Abstract
Kunitz-type peptide expression has been described in the venom of snakes of the Viperidae, Elapidae and Colubridae families. This work aimed to identify these peptides in the venom gland transcriptome of the coral snake Micrurus mipartitus. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a high diversity [...] Read more.
Kunitz-type peptide expression has been described in the venom of snakes of the Viperidae, Elapidae and Colubridae families. This work aimed to identify these peptides in the venom gland transcriptome of the coral snake Micrurus mipartitus. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a high diversity of venom-associated Kunitz serine protease inhibitor proteins (KSPIs). A total of eight copies of KSPIs were predicted and grouped into four distinctive types, including short KSPI, long KSPI, Kunitz–Waprin (Ku-WAP) proteins, and a multi-domain Kunitz-type protein. From these, one short KSPI showed high identity with Micrurus tener and Austrelaps superbus. The long KSPI group exhibited similarity within the Micrurus genus and showed homology with various elapid snakes and even with the colubrid Pantherophis guttatus. A third group suggested the presence of Kunitz domains in addition to a whey-acidic-protein-type four-disulfide core domain. Finally, the fourth group corresponded to a transcript copy with a putative 511 amino acid protein, formerly annotated as KSPI, which UniProt classified as SPINT1. In conclusion, this study showed the diversity of Kunitz-type proteins expressed in the venom gland transcriptome of M. mipartitus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transcriptomic and Proteomic Study on Animal Venom: Looking Forward)
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