Abstract
BackgroundNon-front-fanged colubroid snakes comprise about two-thirds of extant ophidian species. The medical significance of the majority of these snakes is unknown, but at least five species have caused life-threatening or fatal human envenomings. However, the venoms of only a small number of species have been explored. MethodsA combined venomic and venom gland transcriptomic approach was employed to characterise of venom of Dispholidus typus (boomslang), the snake that caused the tragic death of Professor Karl Patterson Schmidt. The ability of CroFab™ antivenom to immunocapture boomslang venom proteins was investigated using antivenomics. ResultsTranscriptomic-assisted proteomic analysis identified venom proteins belonging to seven protein families: three-finger toxin (3FTx); phospholipase A2 (PLA2); cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISP); snake venom (SV) serine proteinase (SP); C-type lectin-like (CTL); SV metalloproteinases (SVMPs); and disintegrin-like/cysteine-rich (DC) proteolytic fragments. CroFab™ antivenom efficiently immunodepleted some boomslang SVMPs. ConclusionsThe present work is the first to address the overall proteomic profile of D. typus venom. This study allowed us to correlate the toxin composition with the toxic activities of the venom. The antivenomic analysis suggested that the antivenom available at the time of the unfortunate accident could have exhibited at least some immunoreactivity against the boomslang SVMPs responsible for the disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome that caused K.P. Schmidt's fatal outcome. General significanceThis study may stimulate further research on other non-front-fanged colubroid snake venoms capable of causing life-threatening envenomings to humans, which in turn should contribute to prevent fatal human accidents, such as that unfortunately suffered by K.P. Schmidt.
Highlights
Karl Patterson Schmidt (June 19, 1890, Lake Forest, Illinois–September 26, 1957, Chicago) was an eminent American herpetologist at the Field Museum in Chicago, where he was zoological curator from 1941 to 1955, and a leading expert on coral snakes
CroFabTM is a preparation of ovine Fab immunoglobulin fragments obtained from the blood of healthy sheep immunized with the following North American snake venoms: Crotalus atrox (Western diamondback rattlesnake), C. adamanteus (Eastern diamondback rattlesnake), C. scutulatus type A (Mojave rattlesnake) and Agkistrodon piscivorus (Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin)
We applied proteomic analysis to uncover the venom's weaponry, and the integration of these two data types allowed us to correlate the symptoms experienced by the envenomed herpetologist with the composition of the lethal venom employed by D. typus
Summary
Karl Patterson Schmidt (June 19, 1890, Lake Forest, Illinois–September 26, 1957, Chicago) was an eminent American herpetologist at the Field Museum in Chicago, where he was zoological curator from 1941 to 1955, and a leading expert on coral snakes. He died nearly 6 decades ago of internal bleeding from his eyes, lungs, kidneys, heart, and brain. General significance: This study may stimulate further research on other non-front-fanged colubroid snake venoms capable of causing life-threatening envenomings to humans, which in turn should contribute to prevent fatal human accidents, such as that suffered by K.P. Schmidt
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Schedule a callMore From: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects
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