Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8319035 | Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology | 2018 | 18 Pages |
Abstract
Pseudechis (black snakes) is an Australasian elapid snake genus that inhabits much of mainland Australia, with two representatives confined to Papua New Guinea. The present study is the first to analyse the venom of all 9 described Pseudechis species (plus one undescribed species) to investigate the evolution of venom composition and functional activity. Proteomic results demonstrated that the typical Pseudechis venom profile is dominated by phospholipase A2 toxins. Strong cytotoxicity was the dominant function for most species. P. porphyriacus, the most basal member of the genus, also exhibited the most divergent venom composition, being the only species with appreciable amounts of procoagulant toxins. The relatively high presence of factor Xa recovered in P. porphyriacus venom may be related to a predominantly amphibian diet. Results of this study provide important insights to guide future ecological and toxinological investigations.
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Authors
Jonathan Goldenberg, Vittoria Cipriani, Timothy N.W. Jackson, Kevin Arbuckle, Jordan Debono, Daniel Dashevsky, Nadya Panagides, Maria P. Ikonomopoulou, Ivan Koludarov, Bin Li, Renan Castro Santana, Amanda Nouwens, Alun Jones, Chris Hay, Nathan Dunstan,