Erythrolamprus reginae liver, tongue, stomach and intestine transcriptome
This study investigates the molecular responses underlying dietary adaptation and detoxification in the Amazonian Royal Ground snake Erythrolamprus reginae, which preys on chemically defended amphibians such as Ameerega trivittata. We hypothesized that ingestion of toxic prey would not only upregulate digestive enzymes but also activate detoxification mechanisms. To test this, we generated transcriptomes from four key digestive tissues (tongue, stomach, liver, and gut) in E. reginae individuals that had consumed A. trivittata (n = 3), Scinax ruber (n = 3), or were fasting (n = 3). This dataset provides critical insights into the molecular candidates involved in the detoxification cascade following the ingestion of toxic prey, enhancing our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of predator-prey interactions in Neotropical ecosystems.