Calvete Juan J, Lomonte Bruno, Lorente Carolina, Pla Davinia, Zollweg Michael, Mebs Dietrich
Laboratorio de Venómica Evolutiva y Traslacional, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., Jaime Roig 11, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiologia, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica.
Toxicon. 2023 Mar 15;225:107050. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107050. Epub 2023 Feb 1.
Based on its phylogenetic relationship to monitor lizards (Varanidae), Gila monsters (Heloderma spp.), and the earless monitor Lanthanotus borneesis, the Chinese crocodile lizard, Shinisaurus crocodilurus, has been assigned to the Toxicofera clade, which comprises venomous reptiles. However, no data about composition and biological activities of its oral secretion have been reported. In the present study, a proteomic analysis of the mandibular gland of S. crocodilurus and, for comparison, of the herbivorous Solomon Island skink Corucia zebrata, was performed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the teeth from S. crocodilurus revealed a sharp ridge on the anterior surface, but no grooves, whereas those of C. zebrata possess a flattened crown with a pointed cusp. Proteomic analysis of their gland extracts provided no evidence of venom-derived peptides or proteins, strongly supporting the non-venomous character of these lizards. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD039424.
基于中国鳄蜥（Shinisaurus crocodilurus）与巨蜥科（Varanidae）蜥蜴、毒蜥属（Heloderma spp.）蜥蜴以及无耳巨蜥（Lanthanotus borneesis）的系统发育关系，它被归入包含有毒爬行动物的Toxicofera进化枝。然而，尚未有关于其口腔分泌物的成分和生物活性的数据报道。在本研究中，对中国鳄蜥的下颌腺进行了蛋白质组分析，并作为对比，对草食性的所罗门岛石龙子（Corucia zebrata）的下颌腺进行了蛋白质组分析。对中国鳄蜥牙齿的扫描电子显微镜（SEM）观察显示，其牙齿前表面有一条尖锐的脊，但没有沟槽，而所罗门岛石龙子的牙齿则有一个扁平的牙冠和一个尖锐的牙尖。对它们腺体提取物的蛋白质组分析没有发现毒液衍生肽或蛋白质的证据，有力地支持了这些蜥蜴无毒的特性。数据可通过ProteomeXchange获得，标识符为PXD039424。
