Highly Evolvable: Investigating Interspecific and Intraspecific Venom Variation in Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and Brown Snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.)
Snake venoms are complex mixtures of toxins that differ on interspecific (between species) and intraspecific (within species) levels. Whether venom variation within a group of closely related species is explained by the presence, absence and/or relative abundances of venom toxins remains largely unk...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Toxins |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/15/1/74 |
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| author | Jory van Thiel Luis L. Alonso Julien Slagboom Nathan Dunstan Roel M. Wouters Cassandra M. Modahl Freek J. Vonk Timothy N. W. Jackson Jeroen Kool |
| author_facet | Jory van Thiel Luis L. Alonso Julien Slagboom Nathan Dunstan Roel M. Wouters Cassandra M. Modahl Freek J. Vonk Timothy N. W. Jackson Jeroen Kool |
| author_sort | Jory van Thiel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Snake venoms are complex mixtures of toxins that differ on interspecific (between species) and intraspecific (within species) levels. Whether venom variation within a group of closely related species is explained by the presence, absence and/or relative abundances of venom toxins remains largely unknown. Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and brown snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.) represent medically relevant species of snakes across the Australasian region and provide an excellent model clade for studying interspecific and intraspecific venom variation. Using liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and mass spectrometry detection, we analyzed a total of 31 venoms covering all species of this monophyletic clade, including widespread localities. Our results reveal major interspecific and intraspecific venom variation in <i>Oxyuranus</i> and <i>Pseudonaja</i> species, partially corresponding with their geographical regions and phylogenetic relationships. This extensive venom variability is generated by a combination of the absence/presence and differential abundance of venom toxins. Our study highlights that venom systems can be highly dynamical on the interspecific and intraspecific levels and underscores that the rapid toxin evolvability potentially causes major impacts on neglected tropical snakebites. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:06:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b7100fa090eb4e798f6caea896e6292f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6651 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:06:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxins |
| spelling | doaj.art-b7100fa090eb4e798f6caea896e6292f2023-12-01T00:57:31ZengMDPI AGToxins2072-66512023-01-011517410.3390/toxins15010074Highly Evolvable: Investigating Interspecific and Intraspecific Venom Variation in Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and Brown Snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.)Jory van Thiel0Luis L. Alonso1Julien Slagboom2Nathan Dunstan3Roel M. Wouters4Cassandra M. Modahl5Freek J. Vonk6Timothy N. W. Jackson7Jeroen Kool8Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDivision of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDivision of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsVenom Supplies Pty. Ltd., Tanunda, SA 5352, AustraliaInstitute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, The NetherlandsCentre for Snakebite Research & Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UKDivision of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsAustralian Venom Research Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, AustraliaDivision of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsSnake venoms are complex mixtures of toxins that differ on interspecific (between species) and intraspecific (within species) levels. Whether venom variation within a group of closely related species is explained by the presence, absence and/or relative abundances of venom toxins remains largely unknown. Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and brown snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.) represent medically relevant species of snakes across the Australasian region and provide an excellent model clade for studying interspecific and intraspecific venom variation. Using liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and mass spectrometry detection, we analyzed a total of 31 venoms covering all species of this monophyletic clade, including widespread localities. Our results reveal major interspecific and intraspecific venom variation in <i>Oxyuranus</i> and <i>Pseudonaja</i> species, partially corresponding with their geographical regions and phylogenetic relationships. This extensive venom variability is generated by a combination of the absence/presence and differential abundance of venom toxins. Our study highlights that venom systems can be highly dynamical on the interspecific and intraspecific levels and underscores that the rapid toxin evolvability potentially causes major impacts on neglected tropical snakebites.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/15/1/74snake venomvenom variationevolvabilityliquid chromatographymass spectrometry |
| spellingShingle | Jory van Thiel Luis L. Alonso Julien Slagboom Nathan Dunstan Roel M. Wouters Cassandra M. Modahl Freek J. Vonk Timothy N. W. Jackson Jeroen Kool Highly Evolvable: Investigating Interspecific and Intraspecific Venom Variation in Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and Brown Snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.) Toxins snake venom venom variation evolvability liquid chromatography mass spectrometry |
| title | Highly Evolvable: Investigating Interspecific and Intraspecific Venom Variation in Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and Brown Snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.) |
| title_full | Highly Evolvable: Investigating Interspecific and Intraspecific Venom Variation in Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and Brown Snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.) |
| title_fullStr | Highly Evolvable: Investigating Interspecific and Intraspecific Venom Variation in Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and Brown Snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Highly Evolvable: Investigating Interspecific and Intraspecific Venom Variation in Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and Brown Snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.) |
| title_short | Highly Evolvable: Investigating Interspecific and Intraspecific Venom Variation in Taipans (<i>Oxyuranus</i> spp.) and Brown Snakes (<i>Pseudonaja</i> spp.) |
| title_sort | highly evolvable investigating interspecific and intraspecific venom variation in taipans i oxyuranus i spp and brown snakes i pseudonaja i spp |
| topic | snake venom venom variation evolvability liquid chromatography mass spectrometry |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/15/1/74 |
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