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Protein microarrays for COVID-19 research
Published in Sanjeeva Srivastava, Multi-Pronged Omics Technologies to Understand COVID-19, 2022
Arup Acharjee, Abhilash Barpanda, Jing Ren, Xiaobo Yu
Analytical protein microarray is a powerful technique having a great potential to aid in the detection and identification of a wide range of analytes in various applications such as clinical diagnostics, proteomics, drug development, and molecular cell biology. Antibody arrays are the most representative form of an analytical array (Sutandy et al. 2013). The analytical microarray can be used to study various biological processes such as protein–protein interactions, signal transduction cascades, posttranslational modification of proteins, detection of toxins such as snake venoms (Sauer 2017). These arrays have also revealed several advantages as compared to classical single-stage Western blotting or ELISA assays in clinical settings as arrays are high-throughput, extremely sensitive, inexpensive, and require a very small volume of samples for multiple protein detection (Figure 6.2).
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Published in Michael Hehenberger, Zhi Xia, Our Animal Connection, 2019
Many animal species—not only snakes—have developed venomous capabilities, thereby moving predator–prey interactions from the physical to the biochemical domain. Venoms are typically used both to attack and to defend. Due to the ongoing “evolutionary arms race” between venomous animals and their prey, most venoms are quite complex and do exactly what biopharmaceutical drug discovery is aiming for: pursue molecular targets with high selectivity and potency! As to venom chemistry, it has been studied since mid-19th century, in particular with snakes. Proteins are by far the most important components of snake venoms (and other venoms as well). Among thousands of proteins found, there are toxins of various kinds with very specific properties:
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Published in Michael Hehenberger, Zhi Xia, Huanming Yang, Our Animal Connection, 2020
Michael Hehenberger, Zhi Xia, Huanming Yang
Recent and very promising new developments of venom-based peptide therapeutics include FDA approved antidiabetic and analgesic drugs, as well as promising monomeric insulins, treatments of autoimmune diseases and (spider) toxins for use as eco-friendly insecticides. Table 6B.1 shows a list of approved drugs derived from animal venoms.169
Lipidomic profiling of the Brazilian yellow scorpion venom: new insights into inflammatory responses following Tityus serrulatus envenomation
Published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 2023
Tanize Acunha, Bruno Alves Rocha, Viviani Nardini, Fernando Barbosa Jr, Lúcia Helena Faccioli
Scorpion venom is a complex mixture of bioactive molecules injected into prey/predators to disrupt their biological processes. Brazilian yellow scorpion venom is composed of mucus, inorganic salts, lipids, amines, nucleotides (e.g. natriuretic peptides), kallikrein inhibitor, proteins with high molecular mass such as enzymes hyaluronidase, serinoprotease, and metalloproteinase, peptides (disulfide-bridged and non-disulfide-bridged), free amino acids and several toxins (Almaaytah and Albalas 2014; Furtado et al. 2020; Ortiz et al. 2015; Pucca et al. 2015). Disulfide-bridged peptide toxins are the most studied scorpion venom components due mainly to their pharmacological action on ion channels and clinical significance as neurotoxins (Almaaytah and Albalas 2014; Furtado et al. 2020; Mouchbahani-Constance and Sharif-Naeini 2021; Ortiz et al. 2015; Pucca et al. 2015; Quintero-Hernández et al. 2011; Tobassum et al. 2020).
A secretory system for extracellular production of spider neurotoxin huwentoxin-I in Escherichia coli
Published in Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology, 2022
Changjun Liu, Qing Yan, Ke Yi, Tianhao Hu, Jianjie Wang, Zheyang Zhang, Huimin Li, Yutao Luo, Dongyi Zhang, Er Meng
Under the constant evolutionary pressure of millions of years, animal venoms with extraordinary biological potency and exceptional target selectivity have been evolutionarily fine-tuned in venom glands of venomous animals for hunting prey and defending against predators to their intended molecular targets.[1,2] At present, animal venoms, composed of massive bioactive peptides or proteins as well as small organic molecules, have become a naturally pharmaceutical arsenal containing ideal candidates as pharmacological tools, human therapeutics, and bioinsecticides.[3,4] Bioactive peptides and proteins, which are usually tightly folded and stabilized by single or multiple disulfide bonds, are the major components widely expressed in animal venoms.[2,5] The well-defined three-dimensional structures and topological orientation of the cysteine-rich peptides were well scaffolded by the disulfide bond frameworks, thus improving the thermal, chemical, and enzymatical stability, potency, and selectivity of the peptides.[6–8] Until now, cysteine-rich peptides of less than 100 amino acids residues are the best-studied toxins in venom research. Ziconotide, an analgesic peptide isolated from cone snail, is a well-known example of cysteine-rich peptides for relieving chronic pain.[9]
Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of Bothrops insularis bacterial and fungal microbiota
Published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 2018
Lidiane Nunes Barbosa, Rui Seabra Ferreira Jr, Priscila Luiza Mello, Hans Garcia Garces, Jéssica Luana Chechi, Tarsila Frachin, Luciana Curtolo De Barros, Sandra De Moraes Guimenes Bosco, Eduardo Bagagli, Ary Fernandes Júnior, Benedito Barraviera, Lucilene Delazari Dos Santos
Although the species B. insularis and its habitat have been studied for years, data are still scarce. The biochemical and biological activities of the venom and its fractions, population dynamics, breeding in captivity, as well as proteomics of venoms and antivenoms have been previously described (Della-Casa et al. 2011; Gonçalves-Machado et al. 2016; Guimarães et al. 2014; Silva et al. 2015; Valente et al. 2009). However, no apparent investigators have thus far explored the bacterial and fungal microbiota of this species. These findings may reveal the influence of microbiota on the health of the snakes, birth and mortality rates, and role as a secondary etiological agent in infections resulting from snakebites (Costello et al. 2010; Ferreira Junior et al. 2009; Fonseca et al. 2009; Paula Neto et al. 2005). The aim of this study was to characterize microbiota in B. insularis snakes using molecular identification of aerobic bacteria and fungi isolated from mouth, eyes, and cloaca using a culture-dependent approach.