Venomics and Peptidomics of Palearctic vipers: Clade-wide analysis of seven taxa of the generaVipera,Montivipera,MacroviperaandDaboiaacross Türkiye

Abstract

ABSTRACTSnake venom variations are a crucial factor to understand the consequences of snakebite envenoming worldwide and therefore it’s important to know about toxin composition alterations between taxa. Palearctic vipers of the generaVipera,Montivipera,MacroviperaandDaboiahave high medical impacts across the Old World. One hotspot for their occurrence and diversity is Türkiye on the border between the continents, but many of their venoms remain still understudied. Here, we present the venom compositions of seven Turkish viper taxa. By complementary mass spectrometry-based bottom-up and top-down workflows, the venom profiles were investigated on proteomics and peptidomics level. This study includes the first venom descriptions ofVipera berus barani,Vipera darevskii,Montivipera bulgardaghica albizonaandMontivipera xanthina, as well as first snake venomics profiles of TurkishMacrovipera lebetinus obtusaandDaboia palaestinae, including an in-depth reanalysis ofMontivipera bulgardaghica bulgardaghicavenom. Additionally, we identified the modular consensus sequence pEXW(PZ1–2P(EI)/(KV)PPLE for bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPP) in viper venoms. For better insights into variations and potential impacts of medical significance the venoms were compared against other Palearctic viper proteomes, including the first genus-wideMontiviperavenom comparison. This will help the risk assessment of snakebite envenoming by these vipers and aid in predicting the venoms pathophysiology and clinical treatments.