1. Immunoprotection against lethal effects of Crotalus durissus snake venom elicited by synthetic epitopes trapped in liposomes
- Author
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Patrícia Donado Vaz de Melo, Clara Guerra-Duarte, Priscila Albuquerque de Araújo, Carlos Chávez-Olórtegui, Fernanda Costal-Oliveira, Leonides Rezende, Andreza Alves Belo, Raíssa Medina Santos, Sabrina de Almeida Lima, Edgar Gonzalez, Ricardo Andrez Machado-de-Ávila, and Vanete Thomaz Soccol
- Subjects
Models, Molecular ,Antigenicity ,Protein Conformation ,Antivenom ,Venom ,02 engineering and technology ,Pharmacology ,complex mixtures ,Biochemistry ,Epitope ,Epitopes ,Mice ,03 medical and health sciences ,Neutralization Tests ,Structural Biology ,Animals ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Envenomation ,Anaphylaxis ,Molecular Biology ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,Antivenins ,Crotalus ,General Medicine ,Crotoxin ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,biology.organism_classification ,Crotamine ,Disease Models, Animal ,Snake venom ,Immunoglobulin G ,Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ,Liposomes ,Female ,Rabbits ,Peptides ,0210 nano-technology ,Epitope Mapping ,Snake Venoms - Abstract
Snakebites caused by Crotalus genus are the second most frequent in Brazil. Crotoxin is a beta-neurotoxin responsible for the main envenomation effects of Crotalus biting, while crotamine immobilizes the animal hind limbs, contributing to prey immobilization and to envenoming symptoms. As crotoxin and crotamine represent about 90% of Crotalus venom dry weight, these toxins are of great importance for antivenom therapy. In this sense, knowledge regarding the antigenicity/immunogenicity at the molecular level of these toxins can provide valuable information for the improvement of specific antivenoms. Therefore, the aims of this study are the identification of the B-cell epitopes from crotoxin and crotamine; and the characterization of the neutralizing potency of antibodies directed against the corresponding synthetic epitopes defined in the current study. Linear B-cell epitopes were identified using the Spot Synthesis technique probed with specific anti-C. d. terrificus venom horse IgG. One epitope of crotamine (F12PKEKICLPPSSDFGKMDCRW32) and three of crotoxin (L10LVGVEGHLLQFNKMIKFETR30; Y43CGWGGRGRPKDATDRCCFVH63 and T118YKYGYMFYPDSRCRGPSETC138) were identified. After synthesis in their soluble form, the peptides mixture correspondent to the mapped epitopes was entrapped in liposomes and used as immunogens for antibody production in rabbits. Anti-synthetic peptide antibodies were able to protect mice from the lethal activity of C. d. terrificus venom.
- Published
- 2020