Categorization and Characterization of Snake Venom Variability through Intact Toxin Analysis by Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

The variation in venom between and within snake species has significant implications for snakebite treatment. This highlights the critical importance of studying venom composition and its variations, not only for medical purposes but also from an evolutionary perspective. This study explores analytics for characterizing venom variability, focusing on venom toxin accurate masses, and emphasizes how the complexity of studying snake venom variability can be addressed by using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis with bioinformatics tools. This was demonstrated by investigating LC-MS data obtained from the venoms of 15 true cobras (Naja spp.), 5 mambas (Dendroaspis spp.) and 28 vipers (Crotalus and Bothrops spp.; total of 20 Elapidae and 28 Viperidae venoms), with newly developed bioinformatics tools. The measured LC-MS data was processed in an automated fashion and sorted based on the monoisotopic accurate masses of all toxins found, their peak intensities, and their retention times in LC. The data was then investigated using bioinformatic tools, before the toxin data available in open-source databases was used to predict the class of a toxin by means of its mass. This study highlights the importance of studying venom variability, which is performed by our combinatorial approach of intact-toxin analysis and toxin grouping by accurate mass.