New proteins identified in the transcriptome of the venom gland of Bothrops asper and Bothrops jararaca

Previous proteomic studies of viperid venom reveal that it is mainly composed of metalloproteinases (SVMPs), serine proteinases (SVSPs), phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and C-type lectins (CTLs). However, other proteins appears in minor amounts that affect prey and need to be identified. This study aims to identify novel toxic proteins in the venom gland transcriptome of Bothrops asper and Bothrops jararaca, using data from NCBI. Bioinformatics tools were used to assemble, identify, and compare potentially novel proteins in both species, and performed functional annotation with BLASTX against the NR database. While previous assemblies have been performed for B. jararaca, this is the first assembly of the B. asper venom gland transcriptome. Proteins with potentially novel functions were identified, including arylsulfatase and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, among others, that could have implications for venom toxicity. These results suggest that the identified proteins may contribute to venom toxic variation and provide new opportunities for antivenom research. The study improves understanding of the protein composition of Bothrops venom and suggests new possibilities for the development of treatments and antivenoms.