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

BackgroundNaja 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.ResultsThe 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 and B. fasciatus -6.ConclusionsDespite 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 A2 proteins in all four venoms, long neurotoxins in both cobra species and the C. rhodostomavenom found with the most varied types of peptidases, i.e. metalloproteinase kistomin, halystase and L-amino acid oxidase.