Proteomics in Venom Research: a Focus on PLA2 Molecules

This paper focuses on the application of proteomic tools to study the composition and natural history of snake venoms, and their crossreactivity with current homologous and heterologous antivenoms. Proteomic analyses on Bothrops indicated the suitability of using PLA2 molecules as taxonomic and population-specific markers. The lack of phylogenetic clustering among Neotropical and Neartic rattlesnakes with neurotoxic PLA2 molecules in their venoms suggests that phylogeny may not be an important consideration in venom evolution. Proteomic-guided identification of evolutionary and immunological trends among venoms may aid replacing the traditional geographic- and phylogenetic-driven hypotheses for antivenom production strategies by a more rationale approach based on venom proteome phenotyping and immunological profile similarities. Recent proteomic and antivenomic surveys on Bothrops, Crotalus, and Bothriechis illustrate the feasibility of this view.