Isolation of a neurotoxin (alpha-colubritoxin) from a 'non-venomous' snake

[Dr. Bryan Fry]

Hi all

Here's the next paper in the series, it shows the full sequence and biological activity of the first three-finger toxin to be characterised from a rat snake. ;-)

http://www.venomdoc.com/downloads/2003_BGF_alpha-colubritoxin.pdf

Cheers
Bryan

[snakehunter]

thanx ill have to read that when i get home, but now i have to leave for school.

[Vanan]

Good gawd! I sure hope all these idiots writing stupid bylaws don't get wind of that paper Bryan! lol! Hehe, now to find me a C. radiatus and call meself a hot keeper! BWSmith eat your heart out! :D

Good stuff Doc! You just reminded me of why I love colubrids. Can't beat em for new discoveries and diversity!

[Dr. Bryan Fry]

Hi mate

Yeah, this stunned us as well..... this bloody snake was supposed to be the NEGATIVE control!!! In any case, in regards to legislation, that will be a case of education. In an nutshell, virtually all colubrids are venomous. The only exception so far seems to be the narrow clade formed by the American ancestor of the American ratsnake types and close relatives (e.g. Lampropeltis, Pantherophis, Pituophis etc.). Their common ancestor underwent a secondary loss of venom and reverted back to the more primative constricting condition. Loss of venom has even occured in the highly venomous elapid lineage, two types of sea snakes are independently becoming non-venomous since they are feeding exclusively on fish eggs and as a result their fangs and venom glands have shrunk down to almost nothing.

The key with the fact that the colubrids are in fact venomous is that the vast majority are for all intents and purposes, harmless to humans. A ratsnake is no more dangerous today than it was a week ago. The amount of venom they put out isn't enough to affect a human but is sufficient to help settle down a frog.

Cheers
Bryan

[Invictus]

Well, I do hope that at least one of your papers discusses that fact, Dr. Fry. I would hate to have asian elaphe be classed as venemous and thus banned, because frankly, I kinda like the little bitey bastards. :D

[Dr. Bryan Fry]

HI mate

We make a clear point of that in this paper as well as the LC/MS paper. You can download all of them from the publications section of my webpage.

Cheers
Bryan

[chamitch]

what if a human was givin a large dose of this toxin? could it possibly be used as a seditive or antianxiety med?

also what pathways does it involve in the brain?

and im confused on how they never disected a snake and seen the toxin producing glands.

a

[Scales Zoo]

Interesting questions Chamitch, I also just noticed your signature - great sig.

The colubrids always had something there, called a Duvernoy's gland. I'm sure Dr. Fry will get back to this, but but the scenerio he is putting forward is that it is a venom gland, developed long back before snakes split up into vipers, elapids, colubrids....

The papers are an interesting read, I like to print them off - makes it a bit easier to read, which is good because they are written in a very scientific manner, and us common folk have to read it a couple of times for it to sink in.

Answers to many questions are in there, you need Acrobat reader to open and print them off.

Ryan

[Dr. Bryan Fry]

>The colubrids always had something there, called a Duvernoy's gland. I'm sure Dr. Fry will get back to this, but but the scenerio he is putting forward is that it is a venom gland, developed long back before snakes split up into vipers, elapids, colubrids....

Ryan got it in one ;-) Give the man a prize (something with scales would be preferred no doubt! ;-p

Cheers
Bryan

[Scales Zoo]

Or something hairless, eh mate!

Ryan

[Dr. Bryan Fry]

lol!!!!!!!