ANTIGENIC CROSS-REACTIVITY AMONG COMPONENTS OF BRAZILIAN ELAPIDAE SNAKE-VENOMS

Snake venoms from M. corallinus (LD(50) = 7.1 +/- 0.83 mu g), M. front alis (LD(50) = 19.3 +/- 3.13 mu g), M. ibiboboca (LD(50) = 19.8 +/- 2. 07 mu g) and M. spiixi (L(50) = 6.7 +/- 1.25 mu g) (family Elapidae, g enus Micrurus) injected into horses alone or in combination (M, corall inus with M. frontalis) elicit antibody production, as indicated in vi vo by neutralization of venom lethality and in vitro by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoelectrophoresis (IE) and Western bl otting (WB). Venom lethality was efficiently neutralized by the antise ra, with the monovalent antivenoms being more efficient than the bival ent antivenom. Antibodies against venom components were detected by al l antisera at different titers by ELISA. Upon IE, antisera against M, spiixi and M. frontalis venoms cross-reacted with the four types of ve noms studied and recognized several molecular components, the precipit in lines obtained had distinct intensities and electrophoretic motilit ies, whereas the antivenom against M. corallinus only recognized compo nents of its venom but not of the others. All antivenoms cross-reacted with all the elapid venoms in WE revealing several bands with distinc t MWs in M; corallinus and M, spiixi venoms, two very sharp and separa te bands in M, corallinus venom and a very sharp band of high MW toget her with several other smaller and faint bands in M. frontalis venom. The data indicate that snake venoms of the genus Micrurus are good imm unogens that contain many cross-reactive molecules, and that their tox ic components are neutralized more effectively by monovalent rather th an by bivalent antivenom.