Venom gland transcriptome from Heloderma horridum horridum by high-throughput sequencing.

Lizards of the Helodermatidae (Anguimorpha) family consist of at least two well recognized species: Heloderma horridum horridum and Heloderma suspectum suspectum. They contain specialized glands in their jaws that produce venomous secretions that causes envenoming symptoms to bitten animals. One way to study proteins from such secretions is by RNA-seq; a powerful molecular tool to characterize the transcriptome of such specialized gland, and its protein secretions. The total RNA from venom gland tissues of H. horridum horridum was extracted and a cDNA library was constructed and sequenced. Overall, 114,172 transcripts were found, and 199 were annotated based on sequence similarities to previously described peptides/proteins. Transcripts coding for putative exendins, defensins, natriuretics and serine protease inhibitors were the most highly expressed. Transcripts that code for several putative serine proteases, phospholipases, metalloproteases, lipases, L-amino oxidase and nucleases were also found. Some of the novel identified transcripts were translationally controlled tumor proteins, venom factors, vespryns, waprins, lectins, cystatins and serine protease inhibitors. All these new protein structures may contribute to a better understanding of the venomous secretions of the Helodermatidae family.

Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses Reveal the Diversity of Venom Components from the Vaejovid Scorpion Serradigitus gertschi.

To understand the diversity of scorpion venom, RNA from venomous glands from a sawfinger scorpion, Serradigitus gertschi, of the family Vaejovidae, was extracted and used for transcriptomic analysis. A total of 84,835 transcripts were assembled after Illumina sequencing. From those, 119 transcripts were annotated and found to putatively code for peptides or proteins that share sequence similarities with the previously reported venom components of other species. In accordance with sequence similarity, the transcripts were classified as potentially coding for 37 ion channel toxins; 17 host defense peptides; 28 enzymes, including phospholipases, hyaluronidases, metalloproteases, and serine proteases; nine protease inhibitor-like peptides; 10 peptides of the cysteine-rich secretory proteins, antigen 5, and pathogenesis-related 1 protein superfamily; seven La1-like peptides; and 11 sequences classified as "other venom components". A mass fingerprint performed by mass spectrometry identified 204 components with molecular masses varying from 444.26 Da to 12,432.80 Da, plus several higher molecular weight proteins whose precise masses were not determined. The LC-MS/MS analysis of a tryptic digestion of the soluble venom resulted in the de novo determination of 16,840 peptide sequences, 24 of which matched sequences predicted from the translated transcriptome. The database presented here increases our general knowledge of the biodiversity of venom components from neglected non-buthid scorpions.