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Kazandjian, Taline 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5383-0505, Hamilton, Brett R., Robinson, Samuel D., Hall, Steven, Bartlett, Keirah, Rowley, Paul, Wilkinson, Mark ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3109-6888, Casewell, Nicholas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8035-4719 and Undheim, Eivind A. B.
(2022)
'Physiological constraints dictate toxin spatial heterogeneity in snake venom glands'. BMC biology, Vol 20, Issue 1, e148.
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Abstract
Background: Venoms are ecological innovations that have evolved numerous times, on each occasion accompanied by the co-evolution of specialised morphological and behavioural characters for venom production and delivery. The close evolutionary interdependence between these characters is exemplified by animals that control the composition of their secreted venom. This ability depends in part on the production of different toxins in different locations of the venom gland, which was recently documented in venomous snakes. Here, we test the hypothesis that the distinct spatial distributions of toxins in snake venom glands are an adaptation that enables the secretion of venoms with distinct ecological functions.
Results: We show that the main defensive and predatory peptide toxins are produced in distinct regions of the venom glands of the black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis), but these distributions likely reflect developmental effects. Indeed, we detected no significant differences in venom collected via defensive ‘spitting’ or predatory ‘biting’ events from the same specimens representing multiple lineages of spitting cobra. We also found the same spatial distribution of toxins in a non-spitting cobra and show that heterogeneous toxin distribution is a feature shared with a viper with primarily predatory venom.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that heterogeneous distributions of toxins are not an adaptation to controlling venom composition in snakes. Instead, it likely reflects physiological constraints on toxin production by the venom glands, opening avenues for future research on the mechanisms of functional differentiation of populations of protein-secreting cells within adaptive contexts.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | QV Pharmacology > Toxicology > General Toxicology > QV 600 General works QV Pharmacology > Toxicology > General Toxicology > QV 602 Detection of poisons. Tests. Laboratory manuals. Technique QW Microbiology and Immunology > Antigens and Antibodies. Toxins and Antitoxins > QW 630 Toxins. Antitoxins WD Disorders of Systemic, Metabolic or Environmental Origin, etc > Animal Poisons > WD 410 Reptiles |
| Faculty: Department: | Biological Sciences > Department of Tropical Disease Biology |
| Digital Object Identifer (DOI): | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-022-01350-y |
| SWORD Depositor: | JISC Pubrouter |
| Depositing User: | JISC Pubrouter |
| Date Deposited: | 28 Sep 2022 14:33 |
| Last Modified: | 13 Jun 2023 11:08 |
| URI: | https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/20667 |
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