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Toxicity evolution of Vipera aspis aspis venom: identification and molecular modeling of a novel phospholipase A 2 heterodimer neurotoxin 1
Author(s) -
Jan Virginie,
Maroun R.C,
Robbe-Vincent Annie,
De Haro Luc,
Choumet Valérie
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)03205-2
Subject(s) - venom , neurotoxin , chemistry , biochemistry
We report the simultaneous presence of two phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) neurotoxins in the venom of Vipera aspis aspis , the first such observation. One is monomeric and identical to ammodytoxin B of Vipera ammodytes ammodytes . Its presence may result from gene flux after interbreeding between V. aspis aspis and V. ammodytes ammodytes . The second, a novel heterodimer named vaspin, is very similar to vipoxin of Vipera ammodytes meridionalis and to PLA 2 ‐I of Vipera aspis zinnikeri . It may result from expression of preexisting genes, the acidic subunit evolving from an ancestor common to ammodytin I2 from V. ammodytes ammodytes , which we also found in V. aspis aspis .