Proteopeptidomic, Functional and Immunoreactivity Characterization of Bothrops moojeni Snake Venom: Influence of Snake Gender on Venom Composition

Abstract

Venom composition varies across snakes from all taxonomic levels and is influenced by the snakes&rsquo; age, habitat, diet, and sexual dimorphism. The present study reports the first in-depth investigation of venom composition in male and female <i>Bothrops moojeni</i> (<i>B. moojeni</i>) snakes (BmooM and BmooF, respectively) through three proteomics approaches associated with functional, cytotoxic, and immunoreactivity characterization. Compared with BmooM venom, BmooF venom exhibited weaker hyaluronidase, metalloproteinase, and phospholipase activity; stronger recognition by anti-bothropic serum; 1.4-fold stronger cytotoxicity; and greater number of peptides. The increased L-amino acid oxidase expression probably accounted for the stronger immunoreactivity and cytotoxicity of BmooF venom. BmooF and BmooM venom shared only 19% peptides. Some venom components were gender-specific, such as phospholipases B, phospholipase inhibitor, and hyaluronidases in BmooM, and cysteine-rich secretory proteins in BmooF. In conclusion, we describe herein the first proteomics study of <i>B. moojeni</i> snake venom and an in-depth characterization of gender-specific differences in venom composition. Altogether, our findings not only stress the importance of considering the snake&rsquo;s gender during antivenom production, but also help to identify new potential drugs and biotechnological tools.