Proteomics and neutralization of Bungarus multicinctus (Many-banded Krait) venom: Intra-specific comparisons between specimens from China and Taiwan
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2021
Abstract
The Many-banded Krait (Bungarus multicinctus) is a medically important venomous snake in East Asia. This study investigated the venom proteomes of B. multicinctus from Guangdong, southern China (BM-China) and insular Taiwan (BM-Taiwan), and the neutralization activities of two antivenom products (produced separately in China and Taiwan) against the lethal effect of the venoms. The venom proteomes of both specimens contained similar toxin families, notwithstanding small variations in the subtypes and abundances of minor components. More than 90% of the total venom proteins belong to three-finger toxins (3FTx, including alpha-neurotoxins) and phospholipases A2 (PLA2, including beta-bungarotoxins), supporting their key involvement in the pathophysiology of krait envenomation which manifests as pre- and post-synaptic neurotoxicity. The venoms exhibited potent neurotoxic and lethal effects with extremely low i.v. LD50 of 0.027 mu g/g (Bm-China) and 0.087 mu g/g (BmTaiwan), respectively, in mice. Bungarus multicinctus monovalent antivenom (BMMAV) produced in China and Neuro bivalent antivenom (NBAV) produced in Taiwan were immunoreactive toward both venoms and their toxin fractions. The antivenoms neutralized the venom lethality variably, with BMMAV being more efficacious than NBAV by approximately two-fold. Findings suggest that the monovalent antivenom has a higher potency presumably due to its species-specificity toward the krait venom.
Keywords
Envenomation, Venomics, Antivenom, Snakebite, Antivenomics
Divisions
fac_med
Funders
Universiti Malaya (BKS003-2020),Universiti Malaya (ST032-2019)
Publication Title
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part C: Toxicology and Pharmacology
Volume
247
Publisher
Elsevier Science Inc
Publisher Location
STE 800, 230 PARK AVE, NEW YORK, NY 10169 USA