Analysis of High Molecular Mass Compounds from the Spider <i>Pamphobeteus verdolaga</i> Venom Gland. A Transcriptomic and MS ID Approach

• Main Authors: Sebastian Estrada-Gómez, Leidy Johana Vargas-Muñoz, Cesar Segura Latorre, Monica Maria Saldarriaga-Cordoba, Claudia Marcela Arenas-Gómez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Toxins
• Subjects: Theraphosidae; <i>Pamphobeteus</i>; transcriptomic; high-molecular-mass compounds; phospholipases; kunitz-type
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/13/7/453

Nowadays, spider venom research focuses on the neurotoxic activity of small peptides. In this study, we investigated high-molecular-mass compounds that have either enzymatic activity or housekeeping functions present in either the venom gland or venom of <i>Pamphobeteus verdolaga</i>. We used proteomic and transcriptomic-assisted approaches to recognize the proteins sequences related to high-molecular-mass compounds present in either venom gland or venom. We report the amino acid sequences (partial or complete) of 45 high-molecular-mass compounds detected by transcriptomics showing similarity to other proteins with either enzymatic activity (i.e., phospholipases A₂, kunitz-type, hyaluronidases, and sphingomyelinase D) or housekeeping functions involved in the signaling process, glucanotransferase function, and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. MS/MS analysis showed fragments exhibiting a resemblance similarity with different sequences detected by transcriptomics corresponding to sphingomyelinase D, hyaluronidase, lycotoxins, cysteine-rich secretory proteins, and kunitz-type serine protease inhibitors, among others. Additionally, we report a probably new protein sequence corresponding to the lycotoxin family detected by transcriptomics. The phylogeny analysis suggested that <i>P. verdolaga</i> includes a basal protein that underwent a duplication event that gave origin to the lycotoxin proteins reported for <i>Lycosa sp.</i> This approach allows proposing an evolutionary relationship of high-molecular-mass proteins among <i>P. verdolaga</i> and other spider species.