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Non-Cobra Venom Factor Venom Components Acting on Complement Proteins

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Snake Venoms

Part of the book series: Toxinology ((TOXI))

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Abstract

The complement system, one of the first lines of defense of the innate immunity, is an important mechanism by which the body recognizes foreign substances and pathogens. This system consists of over 35 proteins, among them regulators and membrane-bound receptors and plasma proteins that interact with multiple cells and mediators of the immune system. These interactions vary according to the pathophysiologic context and occur at different stages of the immune reaction. Snake venoms contain potent cocktails of proteolytic enzymes, and the possibilities of these enzymes to interact with the complement system by either activating it or inhibiting have been investigated in many studies. The activation of the complement system by snake venoms, by generation of the potent anaphylatoxin C5a, could help the spread of the other toxic components and thereby enhancing the immobilization of the prey. Discovery of snake components that interact with the complement system may elucidate more about how the venom of snakes is spread in their prey, as well as the role of this interaction on the pathogenesis of the envenomations. It may also lead to discovery of components that aids the studies of the roles of complement in health and disease and also may yield novel anticomplement therapeutic agents. This review summarizes the key contributions regarding the action of snake venom toxins on the complement system.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Immunochemistry Laboratory, Research Division, Butantan Institute, Avenue Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-000, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Denise V. Tambourgi

  2. Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    Carmen W. van den Berg

Authors
  1. Denise V. Tambourgi
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  2. Carmen W. van den Berg
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Denise V. Tambourgi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Research Institute National Institute of Advanced Industria, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Hidetoshi Inagaki

  2. University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

    Carl-Wilhelm Vogel

  3. Department of Molecular Biology and Biot, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India

    Ashis K. Mukherjee

  4. Egyptian Society of Natural Toxins and Z, Faculty of Science Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

    Tarek R. Rahmy

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Tambourgi, D.V., van den Berg, C.W. (2017). Non-Cobra Venom Factor Venom Components Acting on Complement Proteins. In: Inagaki, H., Vogel, CW., Mukherjee, A., Rahmy, T. (eds) Snake Venoms. Toxinology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6410-1_30

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