Comparative analysis of the venom proteome of four important Malaysian snake species

Abstract

Background: Naja kaouthia,Ophiophagus hannah,Bungarus fasciatusandCalloselasma rhodostomaare four venomous snakes indigenous to Malaysia. In the present study, their proteomic profile by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) have been separated and compared.Results: The 2-DE of venoms of the four species snake demonstrated complexity and obvious interspecies differences in proteome profiles. A total of 63 proteins were identified in the four species:C. rhodostoma- 26,N. kaouthia- 16,O. hannah- 15 andB. fasciatus- 6.Conclusions: Despite the identifications of major proteins in the four snake species, a large number of protein spots from the 2-DE were unidentified even though the spots displayed high-quality MALDI-TOF-MS spectra. Those identified included phospholipase A 2 proteins in all four venoms, long neurotoxins in both cobra species and theC. rhodostomavenom found with the most varied types of peptidases, i.e. metalloproteinase kistomin, halystase and L-amino acid oxidase.