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Proteome analysis of the thermoreceptive pit membrane of the western diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox
Author(s) -
Zischka Hans,
Keller Heike,
Kellermann Joseph,
Eckerskorn Christoph,
Schuster Stephan C.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
proteomics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.26
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1615-9861
pISSN - 1615-9853
DOI - 10.1002/pmic.200390012
Subject(s) - crotalus , proteome , biology , zoology , ecology , venom , bioinformatics
Abstract Rattlesnakes detect their prey's temperature by means of a cavern‐like structure, the pit organ. The sensory component of this organ lies within a thin membrane called the pit membrane. Proteome analysis conducted on this neurosensory tissue revealed only a relatively small number of proteins, thereby depicting its high degree of specialization. In addition to containing blood serum and structural proteins, the proteome of this membrane appears to be strikingly similar to that of isolated rattlesnake brain mitochondria. Indeed, our results show that over 80% of the detected tissue proteins are of mitochondrial origin. Fluorescence microscopy studies of these organelles indicate their dense arrangement and accumulation in structures which have been previously reported to be the terminal ends of free nerve fibers of the innervating trigeminal branches. Thus, original ultrastructural observations are paralleled by our findings at the molecular level.