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Loxoscelism is a recognized public health problem in Brazil, but the venom from Loxosceles similis, which is widespread in Brazil due to its adaptability to the urban environment, remains poorly characterized. Loxtox is a family of phospholipase D enzymes (PLDs), which are the major components of Loxosceles venom and are responsible for the clinical effects of loxoscelism. Loxtox toxins correspond to 15% of L. similis venom gland transcripts, but the Loxtox family of L. similis has yet to be fully described. In this study, we cloned and functionally characterized recLoxtox s1A and recLoxtox s11A. These recombinant toxins exhibited different in vitro activities depending on pH, and recLoxtox s1A had more intense effects on rabbit skin than did recLoxtox s11A in vivo. Both recombinant toxins were used in immunization protocols, and mapping of their epitopes revealed different immunological reactions for the produced immune serums. Additionally, polyclonal antibodies raised against recLoxtox s1A had greater capacity to significantly reduce the in vitro and in vivo effects of L. similis venom. In summary, we obtained and characterized two novel Loxtox isoforms from L. similis venom, which may be valuable biotechnological and immunological tools against loxoscelism., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Human accidents with spiders of the genus Loxosceles are an important health problem affecting thousands of people worldwide. Patients evolve to severe local injuries and, in many cases, to systemic disturbances as acute renal failure, in which cases antivenoms are considered to be the most effective treatment. However, for antivenom production, the extraction of the venom used in the immunization process is laborious and the yield is very low. Thus, many groups have been exploring the use of recombinant Loxosceles toxins, particularly phospholipases D (PLDs), to produce the antivenom. Nonetheless, some important venom activities are not neutralized by anti-PLD antibodies. Astacin-like metalloproteases (ALMPs) are the second most expressed toxin acting on the extracellular matrix, indicating the importance of its inclusion in the antigen's formulation to provide a better antivenom. Here we show the construction of a hybrid recombinant immunogen, called LgRec1ALP1, composed of hydrophilic regions of the PLD and the ALMP toxins from Loxosceles gaucho. Although the LgRec1ALP1 was expressed as inclusion bodies, it resulted in good yields and it was effective to produce neutralizing antibodies in mice. The antiserum neutralized fibrinogenolytic, platelet aggregation and dermonecrotic activities elicited by L. gaucho, L. laeta, and L. intermedia venoms, indicating that the hybrid recombinant antigen may be a valuable source for the production of protective antibodies against Loxosceles ssp. venoms. In addition, the hybrid recombinant toxin approach may enrich and expand the alternative antigens for antisera production for other venoms., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Loxosceles spiders' venom comprises a complex mixture of biologically active toxins, mostly consisting of low molecular mass components (2-40 kDa). Amongst, isoforms of astacin-like metalloproteases were identified through transcriptome and proteome analyses. Only LALP1 (Loxosceles Astacin-Like protease 1) has been characterized. Herein, we characterized LALP3 as a novel recombinant astacin-like metalloprotease isoform from Loxosceles intermedia venom. LALP3 cDNA was cloned in pET-SUMO vector, and its soluble heterologous expression was performed using a SUMO tag added to LALP3 to achieve solubility in Escherichia coli SHuffle T7 Express LysY cells, which express the disulfide bond isomerase DsbC. Protein purification was conducted by Ni-NTA Agarose resin and assayed for purity by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. Immunoblotting analyses were performed with specific antibodies recognizing LALP1 and whole venom. Western blotting showed linear epitopes from recombinant LALP3 that cross-reacted with LALP1, and dot blotting revealed conformational epitopes with native venom astacins. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the recombinant expressed protein is an astacin-like metalloprotease from L. intermedia venom. Furthermore, molecular modeling of LALP3 revealed that this isoform contains the zinc binding and Met-turn motifs, forming the active site, as has been observed in astacins. These data confirmed that LALP3, which was successfully obtained by heterologous expression using a prokaryote system, is a new astacin-like metalloprotease isoform present in L. intermedia venom., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.)

Phospholipases D (PLDs), the major dermonecrotic factors from brown spider venoms, trigger a range of biological reactions both in vitro and in vivo. Despite their clinical relevance in loxoscelism, structural data is restricted to the apo-form of these enzymes, which has been instrumental in understanding the functional differences between the class I and II spider PLDs. The crystal structures of the native class II PLD from Loxosceles intermedia complexed with myo-inositol 1-phosphate and the inactive mutant H12A complexed with fatty acids indicate the existence of a strong ligand-dependent conformation change of the highly conserved aromatic residues, Tyr 223 and Trp225 indicating their roles in substrate binding. These results provided insights into the structural determinants for substrate recognition and binding by class II PLDs.

Loxosceles intermedia spider venom was subjected to proteomic analysis through a MudPIT shot-gun approach to identify the protein composition. Were identified 39 proteins which seem to responsible by the lesion of different types of tissues, to some physiopathological actions and by the prevention of structural damage to the toxin structures.

Loxoscelism (the term used to define accidents by the bite of brown spiders) has been reported worldwide. Clinical manifestations following brown spider bites are frequently associated with skin degeneration, a massive inflammatory response at the injured region, intravascular hemolysis, platelet aggregation causing thrombocytopenia and renal disturbances. The mechanisms by which the venom exerts its noxious effects are currently under investigation. The whole venom is a complex mixture of toxins enriched with low molecular mass proteins in the range of 5-40 kDa. Toxins including alkaline phosphatase, hyaluronidase, metalloproteases (astacin-like proteases), low molecular mass (5.6-7.9 kDa) insecticidal peptides and phospholipases-D (dermonecrotic toxins) have been identified in the venom. The purpose of the present review is to describe biotechnological applications of whole venom or some toxins, with especial emphasis upon molecular biology findings obtained in the last years.

The mechanisms involved in both local and systemic effects of Loxosceles intermedia (brown spider) venom (LIV) are still poorly understood. We show using rats treated with Evans blue dye (50 mg/kg, i.v.) that small doses of the LIV (0.1, 0.3, 1 and 3 microg/site) dose-dependently increase the vascular permeability in rats, an effect unchanged by indomethacin (5mg/kg, i.p.), atropine (1mg/kg, i.p.), HOE-140 (2mg/kg, s.c.) or SR140333 (0.3mg/kg, i.p.), but fully avoided by promethazine (15 mg/kg, i.p.), methysergide (2mg/kg, i.p.) and compound 48/80 (3mg/kg/day for 3 days). Addition of cumulative concentrations of LIV (0.1-5 microg) in phenylephrine-contracted aortic rings resulted in a partial ( approximately 40%) and endothelium-dependent relaxation, inhibited by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitors L-NAME (10 microM) and L-NMMA (1mM), and the guanylate cyclase inhibitors methylene blue (100 microM) and ODQ (10 microM). LIV-induced relaxation was abolished by compound 48/80 (10 microM) and pyrilamine (a selective histamine H1 receptor antagonist; 100 microM), but not by atropine (1 microM) and indomethacin (10 microM). Our results disclose that LIV increases vascular permeability and induces vascular relaxation. These effects occur due to its ability to degranulate mast cells and release mediators such as histamine and serotonin.

Herein, we describe a confirmed case of Loxosceles spider bite that illustrates the critical complications seen in loxoscelism, including skin necrosis, rhabdomyolysis, hemolysis, coagulopathy, acute kidney failure, and electrolyte disorders. Upon initial assessment, laboratory studies revealed the following: the white blood cell count was 29,400 WBCs/mm(3), hemoglobin was 9.2g/dL, and the platelet count was 218,000 cells/mm(3). Coagulation studies revealed the following: international normalized ratio, 1.83; activated partial-thromboplastin time, 62 s; D-dimer, 600 ng/mL (normal range <500 ng/mL); free protein S, 37% (normal range=64-114%); protein C, negative; and antithrombin III, negative. Various serum levels were abnormal: urea, 110 mg/dL; creatinine, 3.1mg/dL; indirect bilirubin, 3.8 mg/dL; creatine kinase, 1631 U/L; lactate dehydrogenase, 6591 U/L; potassium 6.2 mmol/L. Urine tests were positive for hemoglobin and bilirubin. In addition, concentrations of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were notably elevated in the serum. In conclusion, physicians must be alert to the possibility of loxoscelism when a patient presents with the clinical and laboratory findings described above, especially if the patient resides in an endemic area. Advances in our understanding of multiple pathways and mediators that orchestrate the response to Loxosceles venom might reveal new possibilities for the management of loxoscelism.

We isolated cDNA sequences coding for dermonecrotic/sphingomyelinases factor proteins from the brown spider Loxosceles intermedia, here named Loxtox proteins. The amino acid sequences based on cloned cDNA of several Loxtox proteins revealed at least six distinct groups of proteins expressed in the venom gland. The level of similarity among the toxins varied from 99% to 55%. The finding of several isoforms of Loxtox in the venom of this spider may reflect an evolutionary adaptation for different prey types and reinforces the idea of an efficient mutational mechanism in the venom gland of spiders.

Envenomation by the brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) may cause local dermonecrosis and, rarely, coagulopathies, kidney failure and death. A venom phospholipase, SMaseD (sphingomyelinase D), is responsible for the pathological manifestations of envenomation. Recently, the recombinant SMaseD from Loxosceles laeta was demonstrated to hydrolyse LPC (lysophosphatidylcholine) to produce LPA (lysophosphatidic acid) and choline. Therefore activation of LPA signalling pathways may be involved in some manifestations of Loxosceles envenomation. To begin investigating this idea, we cloned a full-length cDNA encoding L. reclusa SMaseD. The 305 amino acid sequence of the L. reclusa enzyme is 87, 85 and 60% identical with those of L. arizonica, L. intermedia and L. laeta respectively. The recombinant enzyme expressed in bacteria had broad substrate specificity. The lysophospholipids LPC, LPI (18:1-1-oleyol lysophosphatidylinositol), LPS, LPG (18:1-1-oleoyl-lysophosphatidylglycerol), LBPA (18:1-1-oleoyl-lysobisphosphatidic acid) (all with various acyl chains), lyso-platelet-activating factor (C16:0), cyclic phosphatidic acid and sphingomyelin were hydrolysed, whereas sphingosylphosphorylcholine, PC (phosphatidylcholine; C22:6, C20:4 and C6:0), oxidized PCs and PAF (platelet-activating factor; C16:0) were not hydrolysed. The PAF analogue, edelfosine, inhibited enzyme activity. Recombinant enzyme plus LPC (C18:1) induced the migration of A2058 melanoma cells, and this activity was blocked by the LPA receptor antagonist, VPC32183. The recombinant spider enzyme was haemolytic, but this activity was absent from catalytically inactive H37N (His37-->Asn) and H73N mutants. Our results demonstrate that Loxosceles phospholipase D hydrolyses a wider range of lysophospholipids than previously supposed, and thus the term 'SMaseD' is too limited in describing this enzyme.

Envenomation by arachnids of the genus Loxosceles can induce a variety of biological effects, including dermonecrosis and hemolysis. We have previously identified in L. intermedia venom two highly homologous proteins with sphingomyelinase activity, termed P1 and P2, responsible for all these pathological events, and also an inactive isoform P3. The toxins P1 and P2 displayed 85% identity with each other at the amino acid level and showed a 57% identity with SMase I, an active toxin from L. laeta venom. Circular dichroism was used to determine and compare the solution structure of the active and inactive isoforms. Effects of pH and temperature change on the CD spectra of the toxins were investigated and correlated with the biological activities. This study sheds new light on the structure-function relationship of homologous proteins with distinct biological properties and represents the first report on the structure-function relationship of Loxosceles sphingomyelinases D.

Loxoscelism is the clinical condition produced by the venom of spiders belonging to the genus Loxosceles, which can be observed as two well-defined clinical variants: cutaneous loxoscelism and systemic or viscerocutaneous loxoscelism. We have recently identified, purified and characterised the toxins (sphingomyelinases) from Loxosceles intermedia venom that are responsible for all the local (dermonecrosis) and systemic effects (complement dependent haemolysis) induced by whole venom. In the present study, we have cloned and expressed the two functional sphingomyelinases isoforms, P1 and P2, and shown that the recombinant proteins display all the functional characteristics of whole L. intermedia venom, e.g., dermonecrotic and complement-dependent hemolytic activities and ability of hydrolyzing sphingomyelin. We have also compared the cross-reactivities of antisera raised against the toxins from different Loxosceles species and show here that the cross-reactivity is high when toxins are from the same species (P1 and P2 from L. intermedia) but low when the toxins are from different species (L. intermedia versus L. laeta). These data suggest that in order to obtain a suitable comprehensive neutralizing antiserum using the recombinant toxin as an immunogen, a mixture of the recombinant toxins from the different species has to be used. The use of anti-recombinant toxin antisera may have clinical benefits to those individuals displaying acute loxoscelic lesions., (Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.)

The present report describes the identification and molecular characterization of LiD1, a protein expressed in the venom gland of the brown spider Loxosceles intermedia. LiD1 belongs to a family of proteins with dermonecrotic activity and members of this family have been found in spiders from the genus Loxosceles. The necrotic lesions caused by this group of proteins may lead to serious socio-economic problems such as surgical tissue reconstitution and even patient death. LiD1 was cloned using a cDNA library constructed from the venom gland of L. intermedia and antibodies against proteins with dermonecrotic activity isolated from the crude venom of this spider. The amino acid sequence deduced from the cDNA revealed a mature protein of approximately 31 kDa, with a pI of 7.37. The cDNA also revealed the existence of a signal peptide, a propeptide and also an untranslated 3' region with 218 nucleotides. LiD1 was expressed as a protein fused with beta-galactoside protein using the vector pBK-CMV, resulting in the recombinant protein recLiD1 with important immunological properties. recLiD1 was strongly recognised by anti-dermonecrotic antibodies and was also able to generate reactive antibodies against native dermonecrotic proteins isolated from the venom of L. intermedia.