Whole-Genome sequencing of the schizomid arachnid Rowlandius potiguar Santos, Ferreira and Buzzato, 2013 from the caves of the Brazilian semiarid

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  Image Credit: CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40194191 Whole-Genome sequencing of the schizomid arachnid Rowlandius potiguar Santos, Ferreira and Buzzato, 2013 from the caves of the Brazilian semiarid Abstract Short-tailed whip scorpions (Arachnida: Schizomida) are a poorly studied group of arachnids, particularly in terms of genomic resources, despite their ecological and evolutionary relevance in subterranean environments. In this study, we present the first draft genome assembly of Rowlandius potiguar, a cave-associated species endemic to karst systems of northeastern Brazil. Genomic DNA was sequenced using Illumina paired-end technology (2 × 150 bp), and reads were assembled using a de novo assembly pipeline. The resulting genome assembly has a total length of 1.8 Gb, distributed across 1,505,104 scaffolds and 1,510,944 contigs, indicating a highly fragmented assembly. The scaffold N50 and contig N50 values were both 3.2 kb, and the GC content was ...

Investigating the Influence of Hepatic Neoplasms on Bothrops Venom Biochemistry

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Investigating the Influence of Hepatic Neoplasms on Bothrops Venom Biochemistry

Abstract

Snake envenoming is a relevant public health issue, especially in tropical regions worldwide. Bothrops venom is essential for antivenom production in Brazil; however, the impacts of hepatic neoplasms on venom composition remain unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate whether hepatic neoplasms and/or cysts influence the biochemical profile and enzymatic activity of venoms from five Bothrops species. Venoms from 17 snakes — 8 with hepatic alterations and 9 healthy — were analyzed using SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, ELISA, RP-HPLC, and enzymatic activity assays. The results revealed high intra- and interspecific variability, with no consistent pattern linking the presence of neoplasms to significant changes in venom protein composition or enzymatic activities. Occasional differences were observed in proteolytic, phospholipase A2, L-amino acid oxidase activities and Minimum Coagulant Dose in some individuals; however, these were not directly attributable to hepatic pathology. Immunoreactivity with the commercial antibothropic antivenom remained effective in all samples. The study concludes that hepatic neoplasms or cysts do not compromise venom biochemical integrity for antivenom production, reinforcing the viability of using these individuals for venom extraction in captivity for public health purposes.
Vespasiano, C. T., Serino-Silva, C., Machado Silveira, G. P., Rodrigues, F. S., Rameh-de-Albuquerque, L. C., Sant'anna, S. S., Grego, K. F., & Tanaka-Azevedo, A. M. (2025). Investigating the Influence of Hepatic Neoplasms on Bothrops Venom Biochemistry. Toxicon, 108561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108561