The Venom Proteome of the Ecologically Divergent Australian Elapid, Southern Death Adder Acanthophis antarcticus

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dc.contributor.authorTasoulis, T.
dc.contributor.authorWang, C.R.
dc.contributor.authorEllis, S.
dc.contributor.authorPukala, T.L.
dc.contributor.authorSumner, J.
dc.contributor.authorMurphy, K.
dc.contributor.authorDunstan, N.
dc.contributor.authorIsbister, G.K.
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractThe composition of Australian snake venoms is the least well-known of any continent. We characterised the venom proteome of the southern death adder Acanthophis antarcticus—one of the world’s most morphologically and ecologically divergent elapids. Using a combined bottom-up proteomic and venom gland transcriptomic approach employing reverse-phase chromatographic and gel electrophoretic fractionation strategies in the bottom-up proteomic workflow, we characterised 92.8% of the venom, comprising twelve different toxin identification hits belonging to seven toxin families. The most abundant protein family was three-finger toxins (3FTxs; 59.8% whole venom), consisting mostly of one long-chain neurotoxin, alpha-elapitoxin-Aa2b making up 59% of the venom and two proteoforms of another long-chain neurotoxin. Phospholipase A₂s (PLA₂s) were the second most abundant, with four different toxins making up 22.5% of the venom. One toxin was similar to two previous non-neurotoxic PLA₂s, making up 16% of the venom. The remaining protein families present were CTL (3.6%), NGF (2.5%), CRiSP (1.8%), LAAO (1.4%), and AChE (0.8%). A. antarcticus is the first Australian elapid characterised that has a 3FTx dominant venom, a composition typical of elapids on other continents, particularly cobras Naja sp. The fact that A. antarcticus has a venom composition similar to cobra venom while having a viper-like ecology illustrates that similar venom expressions can evolve independently of ecology. The predominance of post-synaptic neurotoxins (3FTxs) and pre-synaptic neurotoxins (PLA₂) is consistent with the neurotoxic clinical effects of envenomation in humans.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityTheo Tasoulis, C. Ruth Wang, Shaun Ellis, Tara L. Pukala, Joanna Sumner, Kate Murphy, Nathan Dunstan, and Geoffrey K. Isbister
dc.identifier.citationToxins, 2025; 17(7):352-1-352-19
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/toxins17070352
dc.identifier.issn2072-6651
dc.identifier.issn2072-6651
dc.identifier.orcidWang, C.R. [0000-0002-9640-5672]
dc.identifier.orcidEllis, S. [0000-0001-7599-671X]
dc.identifier.orcidPukala, T.L. [0000-0001-7391-1436]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/147689
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherMDPI AG
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1154503
dc.rights© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/).
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.3390/toxins17070352
dc.subjectsnake venom; toxins; proteomics; venome; phospholipase; ecology; morphology; snake; transcriptomics
dc.subject.meshAnimals
dc.subject.meshElapidae
dc.subject.meshProteome
dc.subject.meshElapid Venoms
dc.subject.meshNeurotoxins
dc.subject.meshProteomics
dc.subject.meshAustralia
dc.subject.meshPhospholipases A2
dc.subject.meshVenomous Snakes
dc.titleThe Venom Proteome of the Ecologically Divergent Australian Elapid, Southern Death Adder Acanthophis antarcticus
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished online

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