title: Brown spider (Loxosceles genus) venom toxins: Evaluation of biological conservation by immune cross-reactivity.
abstract: Loxosceles spiders are responsible for serious human envenomations worldwide. The collection of symptoms found in victims after accidents is called loxoscelism and is characterized by two clinical conditions: cutaneous loxoscelism and systemic loxocelism. The only specific treatment is serum therapy, in which an antiserum produced with Loxosceles venom is administered to the victims after spider accidents. Our aim was to improve our knowledge, regarding the immunological relationship among toxins from the most epidemiologic important species in Brazil (Loxosceles intermedia, Loxosceles gaucho and Loxosceles laeta). Immunoassays using spider venoms and L. intermedia recombinant toxins were performed and their cross-reactivity assessed. The biological conservation of the main Loxosceles toxins (Phospholipases-D, Astacin-like metalloproteases, Hyaluronidase, ICK-insecticide peptide and TCTP-histamine releasing factor) were investigated. An in silico analysis of the putative epitopes was performed and is discussed on the basis of the experimental results. Our data is an immunological investigation in light of biological conservation throughout the Loxosceles genus. The results bring out new insights on brown spider venom toxins for study, diagnosis and treatment of loxoscelism and putative biotechnological applications concerning immune conserved features in the toxins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela Regina
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Buch
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Nunes
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriel Otto
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriano Marcelo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Morgon
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; Department of Clinical Pathology, Clinical Hospital, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiza Helena
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Gremski
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valéria Pereira
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dilza
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trevisan-Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando Hitomi
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boia-Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Youssef Bacila
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Sade
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chaves-Moreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; Catholic University of Paraná, Health and Biological Sciences Institute, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Waldemiro
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gremski
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvio Sanches
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Veiga
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Olga Meiri
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Chaim
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address: senffribeiro@ufpr.br.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senff-Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000997:Antivenins / Q000276:immunology*; D060829:Arthropod Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D019295:Computational Biology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D013112:Spiders; D000090324:Tumor Protein, Translationally-Controlled 1
chemical_list: D000997:Antivenins; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D013111:Spider Venoms; C000715647:TPT1 protein, human; D000090324:Tumor Protein, Translationally-Controlled 1
keywords: Biological conservation; Brown spider; Immune cross-reactivity; Loxosceles; Recombinant toxins; Venom toxins