Proteome and immunome of the venom of the Thai cobra, Naja kaouthia

The proteome of the Thai cobra, Naja kaouthia, venom, revealed by two-dimensional liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, was found to consist of peptides which could be matched with 61 proteins in the database. These proteins were classified into 12 groups according to the differences in their biological activities: cardiotoxins, cobra venom factors, a cysteine-rich toxin, cytotoxins, kaouthiagin, mocarhagin, muscarinic toxin-like proteins, neurotoxins, an oxoglutarate dehydrogenase, phospholipases, serum albumin, and a weak toxin. Horse derived- anti-N. kaouthia venom hyperimmune serum currently used for the treatment of cobra ophitoxaemia reacted only to the cobra venom factors and phospholipases in the cobra holovenom by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis based-immunoblotting. The venom proteomic insight of this study should pave the way for preparing a therapeutic anti-venom of improved quality, i.e. also containing antibodies to the newly revealed toxic, but poorly immunogenic, minor venom components. It is expected that such a preparation should have a higher effectiveness than the currently used anti-venom in resuscitating cobra-bite victims.