[en] Snakebite envenoming constitutes a significant global health issue, particularly in Africa, where venomous species such as Echis vipers and Dendroaspis mambas pose substantial risks to human health. This study employs a standardized venomics workflow to comprehensively characterize and comparatively quantify the venom composition of nine medically relevant snake species chosen from among the deadliest in Africa. Utilizing shotgun venom proteomics and venom gland transcriptomics, we report detailed profiles of venom complexity, highlighting the relative abundance of dominant toxin families such as three-finger toxins and Kuni-type proteins in Dendroaspis, and metalloproteinases and phospholipases A2 in Echis. We delineate here the relative abundance and structural diversity of venom components. Key to our proteomic approach is the implementation of Multi-Enzymatic Limited Digestion (MELD), which improved protein sequence coverage and enabled the identification of rare toxin families such as hyaluronidases and renin-like proteases, by multiplying the overlap of generated peptides and enhancing the characterization of both toxin and non-toxin components within the venoms. The culmination of these efforts resulted in the construction of a detailed toxin database, providing insights into the biological roles and potential therapeutic targets of venom proteins and peptides. The findings here compellingly validate the MELD technique, reinforcing its reproducibility as a valuable characterization approach applied to venomics. This research significantly advances our understanding of venom complexity in African snake species, including representatives of both Viperidae and Elapidae families. By elucidating venom composition and toxin profiles, our study paves the way for the development of targeted therapies aimed at mitigating the morbidity and mortality associated with snakebite envenoming globally.
Disciplines :
Chemistry
Author, co-author :
Redureau, Damien ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Molecular Systems (MolSys)
Amorim, Fernanda; Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry, MolSys Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Crasset, Thomas ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Molecular Systems (MolSys)
Berger, Imre; School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK ; Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Cantock's Close, Bristol, UK
Schaffi El, Christiane; School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Menzies, Stefanie; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool, UK ; Department of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
Casewell, Nicholas; Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool, UK
Quinton, Loïc ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Chimie biologique
Language :
English
Title :
Dual Proteomics Strategies to Dissect and Quantify the Components of Nine Medically Important African Snake Venoms
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