Intraspecific variation of Bothrops pubescens (cope, 1869) venom in Uruguay (serpentes: viperidae)

In Uruguay, there was no information about the variations degree in Bothrops pubescens venoms until the present work, in which we investigated intraspecific venom variation using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We found some differences in the venom protein profile; however, they were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
Main Authors: V. Morais, M. Baraibar, S. Carreira
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: SciELO 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-91992006000400007
https://doaj.org/article/6de81b84d3a3479eb7284443c97972da
Description
Summary:In Uruguay, there was no information about the variations degree in Bothrops pubescens venoms until the present work, in which we investigated intraspecific venom variation using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We found some differences in the venom protein profile; however, they were not related to the parameters studied (geographic distribution, weight, sex, and captivity time). Moreover, we distinguished two different groups in relation to band densities at 49 and 57 kDa. Specimens with predominant density in the 49kDa band tend to be predominantly females. Weight distribution in this group extended for all the range (150-1500 g) with an average weight of 720 g. The other group (57kDa predominant band) showed restricted weight range (150-400 g) with an average weight of 280 g. Cluster analysis was also performed. The variability observed in the venom profile probably corresponds to genetic variations.