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

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.