Neurotoxins of the Common Death Adder, Acanthophis antarcticus and other Australian snakes

Main participants: K.L.Sung and KW Broady [L. van der Weyden, P.Hains]

Progress to date: The venom of the Common Death Adder is reported in the literature to contain several postsynaptic neurotoxins, but there has been no report of presynaptic neurotoxins which commonly occur in Australian elapid snake venoms. We originally observed the presence of strong phospholipase A2 enzyme activity in Death Adder venom using a sensitive fluorescent assay system and proceeded to isolate and sequence a novel PLA2 neurotoxin (high homology to pseudexin A). The neurotoxin was called acanthoxin. Isoforms of acanthoxin were detected in snakes from different geographical areas and in the related death adder species, A. praelongis and A. pyrrhus. A recent study using LC-MS separation techniques has indicated a much more complex array of PLA2 isoforms present in venom than previously demonstrated. Partial amino acid sequence data reveals a family of structurally related toxins. The genes encoding PLA2 neurotoxins are being isolated and sequenced. The same technology is also being used to investigate neurotoxins from other Australian snakes including sea-snakes.

Funding sources: Departmental

Publications:

L. van der Weyden (1996) BSc (Hons) Thesis, UTS.

Acanthophis antarcticus