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Description:
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The ability to identify and classify individual venomic variation is essential to
understanding intraspecific and intergenus variation of snake venom proteomes (venomes )
and useful for developing more toxin specific antivenom . The study of individual snake
venomes using new methodologies is needed to improve our understanding of the ontogenic ,
ecological , and evolutionary forces that shape venom as well as provide a potential source for
new therapeutic agents . The methodological groundwork for the intergenus and intraspecific
comparison of the venom proteomes of the western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus
leucostoma ) and the western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox ) is presented in this
study . The use of multiple orthogonal techniques including nano -flow ultraperformance
liquid chromatography elevated energy level mass spectroscopy (nanoUPLC -MSE ) enabled
the identification of 74 unique proteins with an average protein sequence coverage of 39 .3 % .
Size exclusion chromatography , reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RPHPLC ) ,
matrix -assisted laser desorption /ionization tandem time of flight mass spectrometry
(MALDI -TOF /TOF -MS ) and de novo sequencing revealed 7 novel peptides . Quantitation of
mass spectra data also showed that relative protein abundance differed considerably between
A . p . leucostoma and C . atrox . In summary , the proteomics data generated have served to
expand the current understanding of both the A . p . leucostoma venome and C . atrox venome
and helped to build a framework for future venomic study . |