CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LOWER-MOLECULAR-MASS FRACTION OF VENOMS FROM DENDROASPIS-JAMESONI-KAIMOSAE AND MICRURUS-FULVIUS USING CAPILLARY-ELECTROPHORESIS ELECTROSPRAY MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrospray ionization (ESI) and selected ion-monitoring mass-spectrometric (SIM-MS) detection has been used to provide as much information as possible about the lower molec ular-mass fraction (peptides of molecular masses up to 8500 Da) of the venoms of Dendroaspis jamesoni kaimosae (Jameson's Mamba) and Micruru s fulvius (Eastern Coral Snake). Method development was based on the v enom of D. jamesoni kaimosae,which contains some previously described peptides, with subsequent application to the completely unknown venom of M. fulvius. CE-ESI-SIM-MS provides a rapid and extremely sensitive method for the detection and molecular-mass determination of peptides present in venoms. It has been utilized to provide molecular masses an d thus, by inference, confirmation of the peptide compositions for tho se toxins which have been previously described in the literature. Our methodology indicates the presence of 83 peptides in the venom of D. j amesoni kaimosae and 49 peptides in the venom of M. fulvius in the mol ecular-mass range 6000-8500 Da.