Venom Variation of Neonate and Adult Chinese Cobras in Captivity Concerning Their Foraging Strategies

Abstract

The venom and transcriptome profile of the captive Chinese cobra (Naja atra) is not characterized  until now. Here, LC-MS/MS and illumine technology were used to unveil the venom and trascriptome of neonates and adults N. atra specimens. In captive Chinese cobra, 98 co-existing transcripts for venom-related proteins was contained. A total of 127 proteins belong to 21 protein families were found in the profile of venom. The main components of snake venom were three finger toxins (3-FTx), snake venom metalloproteinase (SVMP), cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP), cobra venom factor (CVF), and phosphodiesterase (PDE). During the ontogenesis of captive Chinese cobra, the rearrangement of snake venom composition occurred and with obscure gender difference. CVF, 3-FTx, PDE, phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in adults were more abundant than neonates, while SVMP and CRISP in the neonates was richer than the adults. Ontogenetic changes in the proteome of Chinese cobra venom reveals different strategies for handling prey. The levels of different types of toxin families were dramatically altered in the wild and captive specimens. Therefore, we speculate that the captive process could reshape the snake venom composition vigorously. The clear comprehension of the composition of Chinese cobra venom facilitates the understanding of the mechanism of snakebite intoxication and guides the preparation and administration of traditional antivenom and next-generation drugs for snakebite.