TY - JOUR
T1 - Spatial Venomics─Cobra Venom System Reveals Spatial Differentiation of Snake Toxins by Mass Spectrometry Imaging
AU - Hempel, Benjamin Florian
AU - Damm, Maik
AU - Petras, Daniel
AU - Kazandjian, Taline
AU - Szentiks, Claudia A.
AU - Fritsch, Guido
AU - Nebrich, Grit
AU - Casewell, Nick
AU - Klein, Oliver
AU - Süssmuth, Roderich D.
PY - 2023/1/6
Y1 - 2023/1/6
N2 - Among venomous animals, toxic secretions have evolved as biochemical weapons associated with various highly specialized delivery systems on many occasions. Despite extensive research, there is still limited knowledge of the functional biology of most animal toxins, including their venom production and storage, as well as the morphological structures within sophisticated venom producing tissues that might underpin venom modulation. Here, we report on the spatial exploration of a snake venom gland system by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), in combination with standard proteotranscriptomic approaches, to enable in situ toxin mapping in spatial intensity maps across a venom gland sourced from the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje). MALDI-MSI toxin visualization on the elapid venom gland reveals a high spatial heterogeneity of different toxin classes at the proteoform level, which may be the result of physiological constraints on venom production and/or storage that reflects the potential for venom modulation under diverse stimuli.
AB - Among venomous animals, toxic secretions have evolved as biochemical weapons associated with various highly specialized delivery systems on many occasions. Despite extensive research, there is still limited knowledge of the functional biology of most animal toxins, including their venom production and storage, as well as the morphological structures within sophisticated venom producing tissues that might underpin venom modulation. Here, we report on the spatial exploration of a snake venom gland system by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), in combination with standard proteotranscriptomic approaches, to enable in situ toxin mapping in spatial intensity maps across a venom gland sourced from the Egyptian cobra (Naja haje). MALDI-MSI toxin visualization on the elapid venom gland reveals a high spatial heterogeneity of different toxin classes at the proteoform level, which may be the result of physiological constraints on venom production and/or storage that reflects the potential for venom modulation under diverse stimuli.
KW - mass spectrometry imaging
KW - Naja
KW - spatial venomics
KW - venom gland morphology
KW - venom heterogeneity
U2 - 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00424
DO - 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00424
M3 - Article
SN - 1535-3893
VL - 22
SP - 26
EP - 35
JO - Journal of Proteome Research
JF - Journal of Proteome Research
IS - 1
ER -