Harris, Richard J., Zdenek, Christina N., Nouwens, Amanda, Sweeney, Charlotte, Dunstan, Nathan, and Fry, Bryan G. (2020) A symmetry or asymmetry: Functional and compositional comparison of venom from the left and right glands of the Indochinese spitting cobra (Naja siamensis). Toxicon: X, 7. 100050.

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Abstract

Contralaterally positioned maxillary (upper jaw) venom glands in snakes are mechanically independent, being able to discharge venom from either gland separately. This has led some studies to test venom function and composition of each contralaterally positioned venom gland to investigate any differences. However, the data on the subject to-date derives from limited sample sizes, appearing somewhat contradictory, and thus still remains inconclusive. Here, we tested samples obtained from the left and right venom glands of four N. siamensis specimens for their relative binding to the orthosteric site of amphibian, lizard, snake, bird, and rodent alpha-1 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. We also show the relative proteomic patterns displayed by reversed phase liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry. Our results indicate that three of the venom gland sets showed no difference in both functional binding and composition, whilst one venom gland set showed a slight difference in functional binding (but not in specificity patterns between prey types) or venom composition. We hypothesise that these differences in functional binding may be due to one gland having previously ejected venom at some time prior to venom extraction, whilst its contralateral counterpart did not. This might cause the differential rate of toxin replenishment to be unequal between glands, thus instigating the difference in potency, likely due to uneven toxin proportions between glands at the time of venom extraction. These results demonstrate that the separate venom producing glands in snakes remain under the same genetic control elements and produce identical venom components.

Item ID:	84136
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	2590-1710
Copyright Information:	© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
Funders:	Australian Research Council (ARC)
Projects and Grants:	ARC DP190100304
Date Deposited:	04 Feb 2025 22:57
FoR Codes:	31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3101 Biochemistry and cell biology > 310199 Biochemistry and cell biology not elsewhere classified @ 50% 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3104 Evolutionary biology > 310405 Evolutionary ecology @ 50%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280102 Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences @ 100%
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