Green Snake Research Articles

Goethe’s Allegories of Identity. Jane K. Brown. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014. Pp. xviii+232.

Goethe’s Allegories of Identity. Jane K. Brown. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014. Pp. xviii+232.

NMR Structural Studies of the Binding of Activating Mamba Toxin Tx7335 on the Potassium Channel KcsA

We have recently identified a novel 63 amino acid residue three-finger toxin (called Tx7335) from eastern green mamba snake (Dendroaspis angusticeps) which interacts with KcsA and induces an increase in frequency and duration of individual channel openings when added to the outside of the channel. The toxin exerts this activating effect both on wild-type KcsA as well as on an agitoxin2-sensitive mutant form of the channel, indicating a mode of action and binding site that are different from the classic pore-blocker toxins. We are currently using NMR spectroscopy to unravel the structural underpinnings of this mechanism of action. High yield of purified 15N labeled KcsA and excellent NMR spectral quality have been achieved. Currently the characterization of toxin binding using 1H15N correlation spectra of 15N labeled KcsA in the absence and presence of toxin is ongoing. Experiments are conducted in different membrane mimetics including DMPC/DHPC bicelles and DPC or DM micelles at different pH, temperature and salt concentration. Some chemical shifts and peak intensity changes upon toxin addition have been observed. Continuing NMR structural studies will further elucidate the mechanism of how Tx7335 interacts with KcsA and shed light on the conformational and dynamic changes of C-type inactivation in KcsA and on a novel mechanism of ion channel regulation.

Albert Rogers Crandall's Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis) from North Carolina

Opheodrys vernalis (Smooth Green Snake) is documented in North Carolina by only a single specimen collected in the western part of the state by Albert Rogers Crandall and deposited in 1871 at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Owing to a lack of additional material evidence, many authors have questioned the occurrence of the species in the state. We make the case that the museum tag on the extant Smooth Green Snake specimen was originally assigned to a Sceloporus undulatus (Eastern Fence Lizard) specimen collected by Crandall in western North Carolina, and that the tag was re-assigned between 1924 and 1941 to two Smooth Green Snake specimens. We conclude that the Harvard specimen has become disassociated from its data, and it therefore does not serve as a reliable locality record. Pending acquisition of evidence to the contrary, we recommend excluding North Carolina from the geographic range of Smooth Green Snakes.

Moving towards greater success in translocations: recent advances from the herpetofauna

Moving towards greater success in translocations: recent advances from the herpetofauna

Evaluation of headstarting and release techniques for population augmentation and reintroduction of the smooth green snake

AbstractHeadstarting is a conservation technique for improving survival of species with high juvenile mortality by accelerating growth rate and increasing body size of captive‐born young. With reptiles, headstarts are often kept active year‐round to achieve body size goals and increase survival, omitting overwintering (brumation). As brumation is part of the life cycle of reptiles, there may be tradeoffs related to temperature response post‐release when reptiles are kept active. Upon release into habitats, reptiles are either soft released, where acclimation is provided with in situ enclosures, or hard released without acclimation, directly into habitat. Soft releases have resulted in greater survival and site fidelity than hard releases, but evaluations with snakes are rare. We used a comparative approach to examine effects of brumation versus year‐round activity on prerelease growth and survival of smooth green snake Opheodrys vernalis headstarts. We estimated short‐term post‐release daily survival rates of headstarts and compared movements of hard and soft released snakes. Despite decreases in body mass during brumation, prerelease body size, growth rate and survival did not differ among brumation treatments. Brumated headstarts exhibited rapid compensatory growth, attaining the size of active headstarts within 2 months of brumation. We observed qualitative evidence of reproductive potential in brumated snakes with the production of spermatozoa and unfertilized eggs, which was absent in active headstarts. The short‐term survival rate of all headstarts during post‐release tracking was 0.83 (±0.01), but we lacked power to examine differences in survival among release treatments. Daily movements did not differ among release treatments. Soft releases had slightly greater recaptures, facilitating monitoring. Although brumation comparisons produced equivalent prerelease growth and survival, as a precautionary measure for post‐release survival, we recommend incorporating brumation into headstarting efforts. While further study with other reptiles is warranted, we recommend a comparative framework in planning headstarting efforts with additional species.

Notes on the reproductive biology of the Greater Green Snake, Cyclophiops major (Günther, 1858), in Taiwan

Notes on the reproductive biology of the Greater Green Snake, Cyclophiops major (Günther, 1858), in Taiwan

Secondary ivermectin poisoning in South American green snakes (Philodryas baroni)

This report describes three captive South American green snakes (Philodryas baroni) that suffered secondary ivermectin toxicity after ingesting mice exposed to a mistakenly over-concentrated medicated feed. Two snakes were found...

Case 3599Coluber irregularisLeach in Bowdich, 1819 (currentlyPhilothamnus irregularis; Reptilia, Squamata): proposed conservation

The purpose of this application, under Article 23.9.5 of the Code, is to conserve the specific name Coluber irregularis Leach in Bowdich, 1819 (currently Philothamnus irregularis) for the African northern green bush snake. The name was placed on the Official List by a ruling in Opinion 328. This name is a junior primary homonym of Coluber irregularis Bechstein, 1802 (currently Boiga irregularis), used for the brown tree snake, known from Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Melanesia, and infamous for its invasive colonization of Guam. Both names are in use and are not considered congeneric. It is proposed that the name Coluber irregularis Leach in Bowdich, 1819 be conserved by ruling that it is not invalid by reason of being a junior primary homonym. In order to conserve the name Coluber irregularis Leach in Bowdich, 1819, Opinion 328 suppressed the senior synonym Coluber caesius Cloquet, 1818. In that action, the name Coluber azureus Bonnaterre, 1790 (a senior objective synonym of Coluber caesius Cloquet, 1818) was overlooked. In this paper, Coluber azureus Bonnaterre, 1790 is declared a nomen oblitum under Article 23.9.2 of the Code.

“Os olhos da cobra verde”: Lília Momplé revisita o passado colonialista de Moçambique

Lília Momplé destaca-se no cenário da literatura moçambicana por seus três livros: Ninguém matou Suhura (contos, 1988), Neighbours (roman­ce, 1996) e Os olhos da cobra verde (contos, 1997). Lília Momplé, através de suas narrativas, resgata os dilemas da constituição da nacionalidade através das experiências de personagens relegados à margem. Este fato redimensiona a compreensão da realidade pós-colonial moçambicana. Apesar de sua importância, o nome desta escritora raramente é mencio­nado nos estudos brasileiros sobre as literaturas africanas de língua portu­guesa. Por que esta ausência? Compreender esta ausência é compreender muito do que está atravancado no meio do longo caminho que separa o público leitor brasileiro das literaturas africanas de língua portuguesa, e em especial, da literatura moçambicana: a circulação de livros e a lógica do mercado editorial em tempos marcados pelos resíduos das políticas culturais colonialistas.

A New Host Record for Mesocestoides sp. (Cestoidea: Cyclophyllidea: Mesocestoididae) from a Rough Green Snake Opheodrys aestivus (Ophidia: Colubridae) in Arkansas, U.S.A

ABSTRACT: Twenty-one adult rough green snakes Opheodrys aestivus (Ophidia: Colubridae) were collected during 2010 and 2012 from Montgomery (n = 1) and White (n = 20) counties, Arkansas, U.S.A., and examined for helminths. A single O. aestivus (5%) harbored a massive infection of Mesocestoides sp. This represents a new host record for Mesocestoides sp., and 1 of the rare instances that O. aestivus has been reported to harbor any parasite.

Queering Chineseness: The Queer Sphere of Feelings in Farewell My Concubine and Green Snake

This paper discusses queerness in Farewell My Concubine (1993, dir. Chen Kaige) and Green Snake (1993, dir. Tsui Hark). Tracing the process of the textual transmission of these cinematic adaptations back to their chuanqi origins, I discuss queerness, not in terms of representational politics, but within the framework of affective agency. Upholding the concept of qing (sentiments, emotions or feelings) as a central paradoxical concept – that celebrates genuine individual feelings and at the same time serves as a mode of sentimental education – that enables the reiterative freedom of the chuanqi tradition, I argue that queerness in both films emerges out of this reiterative impulse that generates the sphere of queer feelings as a nonnormative structure of feelings. In the case of Farewell My Concubine, the filmic text creates a narrative closure that imposes a nationalistic ideology at the expense of feminine and queer agency. Nevertheless, Leslie Cheung, the actor who portrays the female impersonator, through his performance creates an affective force that extends beyond the textual realm and spawns social discussion of queer sexuality. Green Snake is a revisionist adaptation that renarrativises The Legend of the White Snake from the green snake's perspective and engenders a queer sphere of feelings that revisits the existential divide between the human and the nonhuman. My reading shows that the radical queer interrogations of the sex/gender/sexuality normative alignment in these films must be found in affective moments.

3D Physical Models of Acetylcholinesterase

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is essential for the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) in cholinergic synapses. Irreversible inhibition of AChE can lead to increased levels of ACh and ultimately death. Conversely, suppressed levels of ACh may lead to memory deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease. AChE has a deep (~20 Å) and narrow (~5 Å) gorge lined with 14 aromatic residues, with its active site at the bottom of the gorge. Initially, ACh binds the peripheral anionic site of AChE and is funneled down the gorge to the active site by interactions between the aromatic rings of the 14 aromatic residues and the quaternary ammonium ion of ACh. At the active site, ACh is oriented for hydrolysis by the active site by interactions between the catalytic anionic site and the quaternary ammonium ion of ACh. The Fasciculin‐II (FAS‐II) toxin, from the green mamba snake venom, inhibits AChE by binding and blocking the active‐site gorge. The Hostos‐Lincoln Academy SMART (Students Modeling A Research Topic) Team and MSOE have designed and made two physical models by 3D printing technology: Torpedo californica TcAChE in complex with a modeled ACh ligand and TcAChE in complex with FAS‐II. Supported by a grant from HHMI Pre‐College Program.

LANDSCAPE WITH FIGURES PARTIALLY ERASED

1 1 3 R L A N D S C A P E W I T H F I G U R E S P A R T I A L L Y E R A S E D D . A . P O W E L L First, it’s just the faces disappearing. Because, deflected, as the faces long have been, with their hunched trunks and mercilessly twisted necks, they can only be regarded from a ground’s-eye view. The bellwort tips its fallow head down in the hot tomato field. The green snake rests beneath the green leaves, and the air is toast brown. Diesel tractors grind to the road and idle there, their heads bowed, too, like giant wooden horses meant to sack an unsuspecting city. Down come the earthen walls. My father used to pour libations onto the ground from the gas pump’s nozzle, and I’d swirl its iridescence, respire it into my lung’s core, so woozy, so sick, and awed by the vapors. Fire beguiled me, too. As did the concept of force. Whole villages burned in a single spritz. Even now the past gets altered. We forget because our friends won’t su√er that subject again. Because the students tap their pens uncomfortably, look around to see if anyone else is taken in. That’s when we figure it’s best to make a joke. 1 1 4 Y I’ve wandered, now, from the corrugated sheds, with people half in and half out of nuclear range. My retention of facts is not a silo. Even if it were, some disrepair gets fallen into. I like to think we dismantle thought as much as tortuous thought dismantles us. I have seen sharp men lose limbs. Women too. A hand pulled o√, conveyed into the hopper. But these were country matters. Like frilled silhouettes of flowering wild carrot, white against the mackerel white sky, the texture is imperishable, the details so far o√. These bodies: their contours uncertain. Just a general cast to the light. ...

Orthoreovirus Infection and Concurrent Cryptosporidiosis in Rough Green Snakes (Opheodrys Aestivus): Pathology and Identification of a Novel Orthoreovirus Strain via Polymerase Chain Reaction and Sequencing

Reoviruses are nonenveloped, segmented, double-stranded RNA viruses capable of infecting a wide range of invertebrate, vertebrate, fungus, and plant hosts. Though sporadic infection has been reported in a variety of reptilian species, infection of rough green snakes (Opheodrys aestivus) has not been previously described. Five wild-caught, adult rough green snakes were obtained by a zoological institution. Clinical deterioration was first noted in all snakes after 3 weeks in quarantine. Despite treatment, clinical decline progressed, and all 5 snakes died or were euthanized by 48 days post-arrival. Moderate, multifocal, acute, necrotizing hepatitis with hepatocellular syncytia was diagnosed in 1 snake. Two additional snakes had severe, diffuse, subacute to chronic pancreatitis. All 5 snakes had gastroenteric cryptosporidiosis. Electron microscopic examination of liver from the snake with hepatic lesions revealed scattered hepatocytes containing 1 or more intranuclear clusters of approximately 90 nm in diameter viral particles arranged in loose arrays. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a segment of the reovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene was performed on RNA extracted from tissues of all 5 snakes. PCR amplification of samples extracted from the snake with hepatic lesions resulted in a 109-base pair (bp) product. Phylogenetic analyses indicated the virus was a novel strain distinct from other reoviruses at a level consistent with species difference. The source of infection was unknown. PCR amplification of samples extracted from the other 4 snakes was negative.

Modulating cGMP in heart failure by novel natriuretic peptides

An emerging concept in cardiorenal therapeutics is the design and synthesis of chimeric drugs that are single-chemical entities that combine structural and biological components of different molecules resulting in novel agents possessing highly desirable properties. Such a strategy optimizes favorable actions of a least two different molecules and often reduces unwanted adverse effects. We recently reported the design, synthesis and biological actions of a novel chimeric natriuretic peptide (NP) fusing the 22-amino acid (AA) sequence of mature C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), a member of the NP family that is highly conserved among species, with the 15-AA C-terminus of Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP) that was isolated from the venom of the eastern green mamba snake (Dendroaspis angusticeps). The rationale of the design of this novel chimeric NP was based upon our knowledge that CNP, principally an endothelial cell derived peptide, has favorable venorelaxing properties that would unload the heart in states of volume overload but when compared to atrial NP (ANP), B-type NP (BNP) or urodilatin (URO), which are marked arterial vasodilators, would be less hypotensive thus better preserving renal perfusion pressure. Such hemodynamic properties are a consequence of CNP activation of the NP receptor-B (NPR-B) that is highly expressed in veins as compared to arteries. In contrast, ANP and BNP which function via the NP receptor-A (NPR-A) principally vasorelax arteries where NPR-A is highly expressed. A therapeutic limitation of the use of CNP in volume overload states is that in contrast to ANP and BNP, CNP lacks renal actions limiting its utility in states of sodium and water retention or altered glomerular function. The second principle in the design of CD-NP was based upon our understanding of DNP. Indeed, previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that DNP is potently natriuretic and diuretic but also markedly hypotensive. More recently, studies have established that DNP like ANP and BNP is a ligand for NPR-A. Further, Lisy et al have reported that the 15-AA C-terminus of DNP possessed mild natriuretic and diuretic actions, which provided the rationale for the hypothesis that the C-terminus of DNP in a chimeric design would provide CNP with the ability to activate NPR-A and transform CNP into a natriuretic and diuretic peptide lacking significant hypotensive actions. Indeed, in recent studies in cells overexpressing either NPR-A or NPR-B, CD-NP activated both NPR-B and NPR-A with predominate stimulation being NPR-B. Specifically, CD-NP was able to activate in cells expressing either NPR-A or NPR-B the generation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) that is the second messenger for both NP receptors. Here we will review both preclinical development and the first clinical studies including first in humans and studies in human heart failure.

Big snake, small snake: which wound is worse when bitten?

Snakebites in children and teenagers are relatively uncommon in the metropolitan city of Hong Kong. They are rarely fatal but may cause significant morbidity and fear. We report two cases of snakebites to illustrate that the spectrum of morbidity is independent of the size of the snakes. A 7-year-old boy was bitten in successions by a green snake. Envenomation occurred at the second bite site. He developed local and systemic signs that were promptly relieved with anti-venom therapy at the intensive care unit. An 18-year-old girl was bitten by a large python but only sustained minor local soft tissue injuries. This report serves to alert the public that snake may bite in successions and envenomation may occur with the subsequent bite. A small snake may be venomous and a large snake may not be. Avoidable risk factors associated with snakebites (such as avoiding areas known to harbour snakes in the evening in summer and autumn and wearing protective footwear) are highlighted.

A Chinese Traditional Narrative in Hong-Kong Moves: A Comparative Research with Focus on "Madame White Snake(白蛇傳, 1962)" and "Green Snake(靑蛇, 1993)"

A Chinese Traditional Narrative in Hong-Kong Moves: A Comparative Research with Focus on "Madame White Snake(白蛇傳, 1962)" and "Green Snake(靑蛇, 1993)"

"An African Journey": On Cultural Heritage and the Popularity of Primitivism

When visiting Europe these days, chances are high that one spots posters depicting a female face with a lion-like crest of tropical flowers and butterflies, white stripes around eyes and cheeks, and a ring of fire around the head framed by two pairs of green snakes and topless male dancers (fig. 1). What looks like it came straight from the studios producing Pirates of the Caribbean III is actually the visual signature of Africa! Africa!, a cultural spectacle that is currently touring major European cities with tremendous success. With 120 acrobats, singers, musicians, and dancers recruited from the African continent and the African

Calcicludine Binding to the Outer Pore of L-type Calcium Channels Is Allosterically Coupled to Dihydropyridine Binding

How dihydropyridines modulate L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels is not known. Dihydropyridines bind cooperatively with Ca2+ binding to the selectivity filter, suggesting that they alter channel activity by promoting structural rearrangements in the pore. We used radioligand binding and patch-clamp electrophysiology to demonstrate that calcicludine, a toxin from the venom of the green mamba snake, binds in the outer vestibule of the pore and, like Ca2+, is a positive modulator of dihydropyridine binding. Data were fit using an allosteric scheme where dissociation constants for dihydropyridine and calcicludine binding, KDHP and KCaC, are linked via the coupling factor, alpha. Nine acidic amino acids located within the S5-Pore-helix segment of repeat III were sequentially changed to alanine in groups of three, resulting in the mutant channels, Mut-A, Mut-B, and Mut-C. Mut-A, whose substitutions are proximal to IIIS5, exhibits a 4.5-fold reduction in dihydropyridine binding and is insensitive to calcicludine binding. Block of Mut-A currents by calcicludine is indistinguishable from wild-type, indicating that KCaC is unchanged and that the coupling between dihydropyridine and calcicludine binding (i.e., alpha) is disrupted. Mut-B and Mut-C possess KDHP values that resemble that of the wild type. Mut-C, the most C-terminal of the mutant channels, is insensitive to calcicludine binding and block. KCaC values for the Mut-C single mutants, E1122A, D1127A, and D1129A, increase from 0.3 (wild type) to 1.14, 2.00, and 20.5 microM, respectively. Together, these findings suggest that dihydropyridine antagonist and calcicludine binding to L-type Ca2+ channels promote similar structural changes in the pore that stabilize the channel in a nonconducting, blocked state.

Natriuretic peptides and therapeutic applications

Since the discovery of atrial natriuretic factor by de Bold et al., there has been tremendous progress in our understanding of the physiologic, diagnostic and therapeutic roles of the natriuretic peptides (NPs) in health and disease. Natriuretic peptides are endogenous hormones that are released by the heart in response to myocardial stretch and overload. Three mammalian NPs have been identified and characterized, including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP or atrial natriuretic factor), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). In addition, Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP) has been isolated from the venom of Dendroaspis angusticeps (the green mamba snake), and urodilatin from human urine. These peptides are structurally similar and they consist of a 17-amino-acid core ring and a cysteine bridge. Both ANP and BNP bind to natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR-A) that are expressed in the heart and other organs. Activation of NPR-A generates an increase in cyclic guanosine monophosphate, which mediates natriuresis, inhibition of renin and aldosterone, as well as vasorelaxant, anti-fibrotic, anti-hypertrophic, and lusitropic effects. The NP system thus serves as an important compensatory mechanism against neurohumoral activation in heart failure. This provides a strong rationale for the use of exogenous NPs in the management of acutely decompensated heart failure. In this article, the therapeutic applications of NPs in the acute heart failure syndromes are reviewed. Emerging therapeutic agents and areas for future research are discussed.