Well-known and most feared hub as a domestic viper.Hub's venom is a "cocktail" of proteins with various physiological activities such as metalloproteinases that destroy blood vessels, phospholipase A2 that causes inflammation and necrosis, and C-type lectin that does not clot blood. The whole genome decoding was awaited.
This time, Associate Professor Hiroki Shibata of the Institute of Biodefense Medicine, Kyushu University, in collaboration with Professor Noriyuki Sato of Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University and Associate Professor Tomohisa Ogawa of Tohoku University, determined the entire genome sequence of the hub and determined the hub genome. We found about 25,000 genes encoded by.Furthermore, we found 60 genes for proteins that act as components of venom and 224 genes that are sibling proteins but do not act as venom.
Studies have shown that among venom-related genes, especially in four protein families (metalloproteinase, phosphoripase A4, serine protease, type C lectin), gene copy counts are significantly increased and amino acid substitutions between copies are significant. It was found that the speed was increasing (accelerated evolution).It was also found that venom-related genes are abundant in "microchromosomes," which are small chromosomes with a high recombination rate, which are characteristic of birds and reptiles.These facts suggest that the venom-related genes in Habu have evolved with high multiplexing and rapid diversification.
This achievement, which elucidated the whole picture of the gene evolution that produces poison for the first time in the world, elucidates the whole mechanism of action of snake venom, greatly improves the efficiency of highly effective antitoxin development, and originates from Japan, which is derived from hub poison, which is endemic to Japan. It is expected to lead to the development of pharmaceutical products.
Paper information:[Scientific Reports] The habu genome reveals accelerated evolution of venom protein genes
