Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molecular evolution of snake venom toxins

  • Published:
Journal of Molecular Evolution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Phylogenetic trees were constructed for 62 venom toxins of snakes ofProteroglyphae suborder using matrix method. The resulting tree fromMinimum Spanning Tree-Cluster Analysis technique had the lowest “percent deviation” (8.55). The taxonomic relationship of these toxins agrees very well with zoological opinions. However, the appearance of the tree did not directly provide a plausible evolutionary model for the toxins. A model was derived from nodal ancestral sequence calculations, comparisons between intra-and inter-generical rates of amino acid change, and generally held ideas about protein evolution. According to the model, short neurotoxin is the ancient form of snake venom toxins. The courses of evolution leading to the present intraspecific homologous toxins are explained by gene duplication and allelomorphism.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arnberg, H., Eaker, D., Fryklund, L., Karlsson, E. (1974). Biochem. Biophys. Acta359, 222

    Google Scholar 

  • Banks, B.E.C., Miledi, R., Shipolini, R.A. (1974). Eur. J. Biochem.45, 457

    Google Scholar 

  • Botes, D.P. (1971). J. Biol. Chem.246, 7383

    Google Scholar 

  • Botes, D.P. (1972). J. Biol. Chem.247, 2866

    Google Scholar 

  • Botes, D.P. (1974). Quoted by Maeda, N., Tamiya, N. (1974). Biochem. J.141, 389

    Google Scholar 

  • Botes, D.P., Strydom, D.J. (1969). J. Biol. Chem.244, 4147

    Google Scholar 

  • Botes, D.P., Strydom, D.J., Anderson, C.G., Christensen, P.A. (1971). J. Biol. Chem.246, 3132

    Google Scholar 

  • Broadley, D.G. (1968). Arnoldia, 3, 1

    Google Scholar 

  • Burger, W.L., Natsuno, T. (1974). The Snake6, 61

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlsson, F.H.H. (1974). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.59, 269

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlsson, F.H.H., Joubert, F.J. (1974). Biochem. Biophys. Acta336, 453

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, T.W. (1972). M. S. Thesis, National Tsing Hua Univ., Hsinchu, Taiwan.

  • Chang, C.C., Lee, C.Y. (1966). Brit. J. Pharmacol. Chemother.28, 172

    Google Scholar 

  • Dayhoff, M.O. (1969). Atlas of protein sequence and structure, Vol. 3. National Biochemical Research Foundation, Silver Spring, Md.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dayhoff, M.O., Eck, R.V. (1966). Atlas of protein sequence and structure, Vol. 2. National Biochemical Research Foundation, Silver Spring, Md.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickerson, R.E. (1971). J. Mol. Evol.1, 26

    Google Scholar 

  • Dijkstra, E.W. (1969). Numer. Math.1, 269

    Google Scholar 

  • Eaker, D.L., Porath, J. (1967). Jap. J. Microbiol.11, 353

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitch, W.M. (1966). J. Mol. Biol.16, 9

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitch, W.M. (1970). Syst. Zool.19, 99

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitch, W.M. (1971). Syst. Zool.20, 406

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitch, W.M. (1973). Ann. Rev. Genet.7, 343

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitch, W.M., Margoliash, E. (1967). Science155, 279

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitch, W.M., Margoliash, E. (1968). Brookhaven Symp. on Biology21, 217

    Google Scholar 

  • Fryklund, L., Eaker, D. (1973). Biochemistry12, 661

    Google Scholar 

  • Fryklund, L., Eaker, D., Karlsson, E. (1972). Biochemistry11, 4633

    Google Scholar 

  • Gower, J.C., Ross, G.J.S. (1969). Appl. Statistics18, 54

    Google Scholar 

  • Grishin, E.V., Lukyanchu, A.P., Slobodyan, L.N., Lipkin, V.M., Orchinnikov, Y.A., Sorokin, V.M. (1973). FEBS Lett.36, 77

    Google Scholar 

  • Grishin, E.V., Sukhikh, A.P., Orchinnikov, Y.A. (1974). 4th Intern. Symp. on Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins, Tokyo. Abst. p. 60

  • Hartigan, J.A. (1973). Biometrics29, 53

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, K. (1974). Quoted by Maeda, N., Tamiya, N. (1974). Biochem. J.141, 389

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, K., Takechi, M., Sasaki, T. (1971). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.45, 1357

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, K., Takechi, M., Sasaki, T. Lee, C.Y. (1975). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.64, 360

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R.G. (1956). Evolution10, 56

    Google Scholar 

  • Jou, E.D. (1975). Proc. Intern. Computer Symp. Vol. 1. p. 90

    Google Scholar 

  • Joubert, F.J. (1973). Biochem. Biophys. Acta317, 58

    Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson, E. (1974). Quoted by Maeda, N., Tamiya, N. (1974). Biochem. J.141, 389

    Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson, E., Eaker, D., Ponterius, G.H. (1972). Biochem. Biophys. Acta257, 235

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C.Y. (1972). Ann. Rev. Pharmacol.12, 265

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, C.S., Blackwell, R.Q. (1974). Toxicon12, 543

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, C.S., Huber, G.S., Lin, C.S., Blackwell, R.Q. (1973). Toxicon11, 73

    Google Scholar 

  • Louw, A.I. (1974a). Biochem. Biophys. Acta336, 481

    Google Scholar 

  • Louw, A.I. (1974b). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.58, 1022

    Google Scholar 

  • Maeda, N., Tamiya, N. (1974). Biochem. J.141, 389

    Google Scholar 

  • McDowell, S.B. (1967). J. Zool. London151, 497

    Google Scholar 

  • Mebs, D., Narita, K., Iwanaga, S., Samejima, Y., Lee, C.Y. (1972). Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem.353, 243

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, G.W., Goodman, M., Barnabas, J. (1973). J. Theoret. Biol.38, 459

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakai, K., Lee, C.Y. (1970). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.41, 339

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakai, K., Sasaki, T., Hayashi, K. (1971). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.44, 893

    Google Scholar 

  • Neurath, H., Walsh, K.A., Winter, W.P. (1967). Science158, 1968

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohta, M., Hayashi, K. (1973). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.55, 431

    Google Scholar 

  • Peacock, D., Boulter, D. (1975). J. Mol. Biol.95, 513

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato, A. (1974). Quoted by Maeda, N., Tamiya, N. (1974). Biochem. J.141, 389

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato, S., Tamiya, N. (1971). Biochem. J.122, 453

    Google Scholar 

  • Shipolini, R.A., Bailey, G.S., Banks, B.E.C. (1974). Eur. J. Biochem.43, 203

    Google Scholar 

  • Shipolini, R.A., Banks, B.E.C. (1974). Eur. J. Biochem.49, 399

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M.A. (1926). A Monograph of the sea snake (Hydrophiidae). Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) London

  • Strydom, A.J.C. (1973). Biochem. Biophys. Acta328, 491

    Google Scholar 

  • Strydom, A.J.C., Botes, D.P. (1971). J. Biol. Chem.246, 1314

    Google Scholar 

  • Strydom, D.J. (1972a). Toxicon10, 39

    Google Scholar 

  • Strydom, D.J. (1972b). J. Biol. Chem.247, 4029

    Google Scholar 

  • Strydom, D.J. (1973). Comp. Biochem. Physiol.448, 269

    Google Scholar 

  • Strydom, D.J. (1974). Syst. Zool.22, 596

    Google Scholar 

  • Takechi, M., Hayashi, K. (1972). Mol. Pharmacol.8, 446

    Google Scholar 

  • Takechi, M., Sasaki, T., Hayashi, K. (1973). Proc. Symp. 11th Peptide Chem. p. 108

  • Tamiya, N., Abe, H. (1972). Biochem. J.130, 547

    Google Scholar 

  • Viljoen, C.C., Botes, D.P. (1973). J. Biol. Chem.248, 4915

    Google Scholar 

  • Viljoen, C.C., Botes, D.P. (1974). J. Biol. Chem.249, 366

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, C.L., Liu, C.S., Hung, Y.O., Blackwell, R.Q. (1976). Toxicon14, 459

    Google Scholar 

  • Weise, K.H.K., Carlsson, F.H.H., Joubert, F.J., Strydom, D.J. (1973). Hoppe-Seyler's Z. Physiol. Chem.354, 1317

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, C.C., Yang, H.J., Huang, J.S. (1969). Biochem. Biophys. Acta188, 65

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, J.Z. (1962). The life of vertebrates. Cambridge: Oxford University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahn, C.T. (1971). IEEE Trans. ComputersC-20, 68

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. E. D. Jou

    Present address: Department of Computer Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA

  2. C. Wang

    Present address: Biological Division, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institue of Molecular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China

    T. H. Hseu & C. C. Yang

  2. Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China

    E. D. Jou & C. Wang

Authors
  1. T. H. Hseu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. D. Jou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C. C. Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hseu, T.H., Jou, E.D., Wang, C. et al. Molecular evolution of snake venom toxins. J Mol Evol 10, 167–182 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01751810

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01751810

Key words

Search

Navigation