Snakes produce venom, a complex mixture of peptides and proteins, for capturing their prey and for self-defense. Previous studies have used pooled venom samples from multiple snakes, so little is known about the differences between individual snakes. Phosphodiesterase (PDE) is an enzyme found in many snake venoms that cleaves phosphodiester bonds, thus hydrolyzing many molecules responsible for cell signaling. This disrupts important processes like cell-to-cell communication, adding to the neurotoxicity of the venom. This project investigates differences in PDE activity between venom samples from individual coral snakes. The PDE activity was then correlated with individual characteristics, such as snake gender and total venom protein concentration. The results indicate the range of variability in PDE activity between snakes of the same species.

Comparison of phosphodiesterase enzyme activity in individual snakes

247th National Meeting (2014)

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