Differential coagulotoxic and neurotoxic venom activity from species of the arboreal viperid snake genus Bothriechis (palm-pitvipers)

Youngman, Nicholas J.; Peng, Yin-Hsuan; Harris, Richard J.; Jones, Lee; Llinas, Joshua; Haworth, Mark; Gillett, Amber; Fry, Bryan G.

doi:10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109326

Cited by 7 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The most basal species, B. pictus [ 71 , 80 ], was like most non- Bothrops American pit vipers [ 37 , 55 , 56 , 81 ] in that it lacked procoagulant venom; it was anticoagulant on human plasma ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ). This result might be indicative of the common ancestor of all Bothrops having a distinct anticoagulant venom action compared to the often procoagulant action seen in the more derived Bothrops .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prior studies have demonstrated that potent procoagulant toxicity through the activation of both factor X and prothrombin is a defining trait of Bothrops venoms [ 42 , 43 , 46 ]. This distinguishes them from other members of the American pit viper clade, which are typically anticoagulant (including pseudo-procoagulant) in their action upon the blood [ 37 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. A seminal study on this subject revealed that of the 26 Bothrops species studied, only B. taeniatus (formerly B. castelnaudi ) was anticoagulant [ 46 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Clinical and Evolutionary Implications of Dynamic Coagulotoxicity Divergences in Bothrops (Lancehead Pit Viper) Venoms

Bourke

Zdenek

Tanaka-Azevedo

et al. 2022

Toxins

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Despite coagulotoxicity being a primary weapon for prey capture by Bothrops species (lancehead pit vipers) and coagulopathy being a major lethal clinical effect, a genus-wide comparison has not been undertaken. To fill this knowledge gap, we used thromboelastography to compare 37 venoms, from across the full range of geography, taxonomy, and ecology, for their action upon whole plasma and isolated fibrinogen. Potent procoagulant toxicity was shown to be the main venom effect of most of the species tested. However, the most basal species (B. pictus) was strongly anticoagulant; this is consistent with procoagulant toxicity being a novel trait that evolved within Bothrops subsequent to their split from anticoagulant American pit vipers. Intriguingly, two of the arboreal species studied (B. bilineatus and B. taeniatus) lacked procoagulant venom, suggesting differential evolutionary selection pressures. Notably, some terrestrial species have secondarily lost the procoagulant venom trait: the Mogi Mirim, Brazil locality of B. alternatus; San Andres, Mexico locality of B. asper; B. diporus; and the São Roque of B. jararaca. Direct action on fibrinogen was extremely variable; this is consistent with previous hypotheses regarding it being evolutionary decoupled due to procoagulant toxicity being the primary prey-capture weapon. However, human patients live long enough for fibrinogen depletion to be clinically significant. The extreme variability may be reflective of antivenom variability, with these results thereby providing a foundation for such future work of clinical relevance. Similarly, the venom diversification trends relative to ecological niche will also be useful for integration with natural history data, to reconstruct the evolutionary pressures shaping the venoms of these fascinating snakes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical and Evolutionary Implications of Dynamic Coagulotoxicity Divergences in Bothrops (Lancehead Pit Viper) Venoms

Bourke

Zdenek

Tanaka-Azevedo

et al. 2022

Toxins

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“…The M. lebetina subspecies also had the strongest relative binding to the human target, which was exceeded only by D. siamensis. Significant variation of relative potency across targets has been noted for other species, where the most potent for one target was not correspondingly the most potent across all targets (Harris et al 2020a, b, c;Youngman et al 2021Youngman et al , 2022Zdenek et al 2019). This is consistent with evolutionary selection pressures shaping affinities for particular targets.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…This BLI method has successfully revealed taxon-selective neurotoxicity such as preferential binding to a snake target by the snake-feeding specialist Ophiophagus hannah (King Cobra), fish by sea snakes, and amphibians for cobras (Harris et al 2020c;Zdenek et al 2019). This method has also facilitated the characterization of neurotoxicity in species not previously tested for these effects, including the Asian pit viper species Calloselasma rhodostoma, species within the African viperid genus Bitis, and the Central American arboreal genus Bothriechis (Harris et al 2020b;Youngman et al 2021Youngman et al , 2022. Further garnered from the BLI method are the residues responsible for venom resistance that convergently evolved in diverse animals ranging from the Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis) to the Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) to the Savannah Monitor Lizard (Varanus exanthematicus) to primates Jones et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diverse and Dynamic Alpha-Neurotoxicity Within Venoms from the Palearctic Viperid Snake Clade of Daboia, Macrovipera, Montivipera, and Vipera

2022

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The targeting of specific prey by snake venom toxins is a fascinating aspect of molecular and ecological evolution. Neurotoxic targeting by elapid snakes dominates the literature in this regard; however, recent studies have revealed viper toxins also induce neurotoxic effect. While this effect is thought to primarily be driven by prey selectivity, no study has quantified the taxonomically specific neurotoxicity of the viper clade consisting of Daboia, Macrovipera, Montivipera, and Vipera genera. Here, we tested venom toxin binding from 28 species of vipers from the four genera on the alpha 1 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) orthosteric sites of amphibian, avian, lizard, rodent, and human mimotopes (synthetic peptides) using the Octet HTX biolayer interferometry platform. Daboia siamensis and D. russelii had broad binding affinity towards all mimotopes, while D. palestinae had selectivity toward lizard. Macrovipera species, on the other hand, were observed to have a higher affinity for amphibian mimotopes except for M. schweizeri, which inclined more toward lizard mimotopes. All Montivipera and most Vipera species also had higher affinity toward lizard mimotopes. Vipera a. montandoni, V. latastei, V. nikolski, and V. transcaucasina had the least binding to any of the mimotopes of the study. While a wide range of affinity binding towards various mimotopes were observed within the clade, the lowest affinity occurred towards the human target. Daboia siamensis and Macrovipera lebetina exhibited the greatest affinity toward the human mimotope, albeit still the least targeted of the mimotopes within those species. Overlaying this toxin-targeting trait over phylogeny of this clade revealed multiple cases of amplification of this trait and several cases of secondary loss. Overall, our results reveal dynamic variation, amplification, and some secondary loss of the prey targeting trait by alpha-neurotoxins within the venoms of this clade, indicating evolutionary selection pressure shaping the basic biochemistry of these venoms. Our work illustrates the successful use of this biophysical assay to further research snake venom neurotoxins and emphasizes the risk of generalizing venom effects observed on laboratory animals to have similar effects on humans.

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“…19,20 A Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor-like protein has been directly implicated in causing the development of edema. 21 The presence of a myotoxin 22 and a neurotoxic component 23 have been reported.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Envenomation by Eyelash Viper Bothriechis schlegelii (Berthold, 1846) in Southwestern Colombia

Cañas,

Erazo-Martinez,

Pérez-Uribe

et al. 2024

Wilderness & Environmental Medicine

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Introduction Bothriechis schlegelii is a Crotaline viperid species of Central America and Northern South America. The characteristics of its envenomation have not been well established. We present clinical characteristics of human cases evaluated and treated in a hospital in southwestern Colombia. Methods We evaluated data from patients who suffered Bothriechis schlegelii envenomation and were seen at Fundación Valle del Lili Hospital, Cali, Colombia between 2011 and 2022. Results Eight patients were included, with a median age of 24 years. Snakebites occurred in rural areas. Six (75%) patients were bitten on the upper extremities in relation to the arboreal habits of this animal. The most common symptoms were pain and edema ( N = 8, 100%), ecchymoses ( N = 2, 25%), and paresthesia ( N = 2, 25%). The most common systemic findings were hypofibrinogenemia ( N = 8, 100%) and prolonged prothrombin time in five patients ( N = 5, 62.5%). All were treated with polyvalent antivenom for Colombian snakes, with a good response and outcome. Conclusions Most bite sites from B. schlegelii were on the upper limbs. All patients had both local manifestations, including edema, pain, and systemic effects with hypofibrinogenemia, but none had systemic bleeding. Every patient received antivenom and had favorable outcomes.

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Differential coagulotoxic and neurotoxic venom activity from species of the arboreal viperid snake genus Bothriechis (palm-pitvipers)

Cited by 7 publications

References 29 publications

Clinical and Evolutionary Implications of Dynamic Coagulotoxicity Divergences in Bothrops (Lancehead Pit Viper) Venoms

Clinical and Evolutionary Implications of Dynamic Coagulotoxicity Divergences in Bothrops (Lancehead Pit Viper) Venoms

Diverse and Dynamic Alpha-Neurotoxicity Within Venoms from the Palearctic Viperid Snake Clade of Daboia, Macrovipera, Montivipera, and Vipera

Envenomation by Eyelash Viper Bothriechis schlegelii (Berthold, 1846) in Southwestern Colombia

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