Produção de soro antielapídico através da imunização de animais com peptídeos sintéticos das principais toxinas do veneno da serpente micrurus corallinus

Abstract

In Brazil, the Elapidae family is represented by snakes from the Micrurus genus. The accidents caused by this genus are considered dangerous because of its neurotoxicity in humans. The species Micrurus corallinus has at least two classes of neurotoxins in its venom: phospoliphase A2 and three fingers toxins. The treatment for poisoning is intravenous administration of anti-elapidic serum. Treatment centers have problems with antiserum production, because this genus is difficult to maintain in captivity and has a reduced venom gland, resulting in low amounts of venom available. The overall goal of this work is to fill in this gap by developing strategies for the production of elapidic antivenom, using synthetic peptides representing biologically immune relevant epitopes identified by the SPOT technique from the major toxins of M.corallinus. After analysis of SPOT membranes and of the proteins sequences with Epitopia software, nine peptides were chosen, localized in a 3D structures, chemically synthesized and used to immunize rabbits. Two rabbits were immunized with M.frontalis venom and peptides from M.corallinus toxins and two rabbits only with peptides. After the second cycle of immunization, the sera of rabbits of both groups were able to recognize the venom from different species from the Micrurus genera in ELISA assays, and to fully neutralize the phospholipase A2 activity. Also, the animals immunized with venom and peptides were capable of neutralizing 100% of the lethal activity of M.corallinus venom. These results encourage the utilization of synthetic peptides for the development of anti-elapidic serum.