engleski

Comparative analysis of V. ursinii ssp. and V.a. ammodytes venoms which originated from Croatia

The karst viper (Vipera ursinii ssp.) favours high-mountain dry grasslands in southern and south-eastern Croatia. It is medically less important than other Vipera species, because of its remote habitat and the very small amount of venom that it injects by its relatively short fangs. Here we investigate for the first time the composition and biological activity of the V. ursinii spp. venom, in comparison to the venom of V. a. ammodytes, the most venomous European snake. The biological activity of the venoms was assessed by the lethal toxicity and haemorrhagic activity in vivo tests. Immunochemical analysis was performed by ELISA and western blot. Biochemical composition was assesed by mass spectrometry identification of electrophoretically separated proteins. Using a proteomics approach, we have identified 25 venom proteins that belong to seven families: snake venom metalloproteinases, serine proteases, secreted phospholipases A2 (PLA2), cysteine-rich secretory proteins, snake C-type lectin-like proteins, serine protease inhibitors and nerve growth factors. The Vipera ursinii ssp. venom was found to be distinctively insecticidal. Its lethal toxicity towards crickets was more than five times greater than that of V. a. ammodytes venom, while the opposite held in mice. Interestingly, the mode of dying after injecting a mouse with Vipera ursinii ssp. venom may suggest the presence of a neurotoxic component. However, ammodytoxin-like basic secreted PLA2s, the only so far identified neurotoxins in European viper’s venoms, were not found. V. ursinii venom is of distinctively higher toxicity for insects than for mice, in comparison to V. ammodytes venoms. Both venoms show comparatively haemorrhagicity in mice. V. ursinii venom is much less complex in composition with SVMPs being dominant protein class. The insecticidal activity also suggests the existence of insect-specific toxins in the V. ursinii ssp. venom, which may have potential as bioinsecticides

snake venom ; karst viper ; Croatia ; toxicity ; proteomics ; insecticide

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