Venom composition of the Iberian adder (Vipera seoanei) from northern Portugal reveals limited sex and size variation

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  Venom composition of the Iberian adder (Vipera seoanei) from northern Portugal reveals limited sex and size variation Abstract Snake venom is a complex and dynamic ecological trait, with high potential for intraspecific variation. In this study, the venom composition of the Iberian adder ( Vipera seoanei ) from the Peneda Mountains of northern Portugal was investigated to explore whether venom varies with body size and sex. Venom proteomes from six individuals representing juvenile, subadult, and adult males and females were characterised using LC–MS/MS, while individual variation was assessed from SDS–PAGE profiles of 18 snakes. LC–MS/MS identified 144 proteins, dominated by phospholipases A 2 (PLA 2 ), snake venom serine proteases (svSP), and C-type lectin-related proteins (CTL). Descriptive comparisons revealed contrasting individual profiles, particularly between the juvenile male, characterised by high svSP and svMP abundance, and the juvenile female, characterised by high ...

Immunogenicity of two representative American consensus scorpion neurotoxins from the genera Tityus and Centruroides

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Immunogenicity of two representative American consensus scorpion neurotoxins from the genera Tityus and Centruroides

Abstract

Two consensus scorpion toxins derived from venoms of the genera Centruroides (NATx, North America), and Tityus (SATx, South America) were rationally designed and recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli Origami. Both recombinant proteins were produced as inclusion bodies and subsequently purified and refolded in vitro to obtain biologically active isoforms. The expression yields were approximately 1 mg/L for rNATx and 0.5 mg/L for rSATx. Structural characterization by circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that rNATx and rSATx exhibited folding patterns typical of scorpion β-toxins. The purified recombinant toxins were used as immunogens to raise polyclonal antibodies in New Zealand rabbits. The resulting antisera were evaluated for their capacity to neutralize isolated toxins and whole scorpion venoms. rNATx elicited a stronger immune response and showed superior immunogenicity compared to rSATx. Notably, 1-1.5 mg of anti-rNATx antibodies were sufficient to neutralize up to 3LD50 of venoms from the most medically relevant Centruroides species in México. On the other hand, approximately 20 mg of anti-rSATx antibodies were required to neutralize only 2LD50 of Tityus venoms. Additionally, T-cell subsets quantified by flow cytometry showed that rNATx is more immunogenic and probably confers improved antivenom efficacy, highlighting its potential application in the development of broad-spectrum antivenoms against scorpion envenomation.

Cardoso-Arenas S, Mejia-Sanchez MA, Miranda-Blancas R, Clement H, Corrales-García L, Arenas I, et al. (2026) Immunogenicity of two representative American consensus scorpion neurotoxins from the genera Tityus and Centruroides. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 20(2): e0013982. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013982