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New insights into the structural characteristics of irradiated crotamine

Overview of attention for article published in Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, May 2015
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  • Average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source

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Title
New insights into the structural characteristics of irradiated crotamine
Published in
Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, May 2015
DOI 10.1186/s40409-015-0013-z
Pubmed ID
Authors

Karina Corleto Oliveira, Patrick Jack Spencer, Rui Seabra Ferreira, Nanci Nascimento

Abstract

Since ionizing radiation has the potential to alter the molecular structure and affect the biological properties of biomolecules, it has been successfully employed to attenuate animal toxins. The present study aimed to characterize the structural modifications on irradiated crotamine, a toxin from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, using circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A combination of size exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography was used to purify the peptide using crude venom. The pure toxin was then submitted to 2 kGy gamma irradiation doses from a cobalt-60 source. Native and irradiated crotamine were analyzed using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. Wavelength was fixed at 295 nm and fluorescence emission scans were collected from 300 to 400 nm. CD and FTIR techniques were used to identify the secondary structure of both samples. DSC analyses were performed at a starting temperature of 20 °C up to a final temperature of 90 °C. AFM provided a 3D profile of the surfaces of both crotamine forms adsorbed on mica. Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the quantum yield of the irradiated form decreased. CD spectra of native and irradiated crotamine solutions showed differences between the samples in wavelength, indicating that irradiation induced a transition of a small portion of the random coil regions towards an α-helical conformation. FTIR and CD showed that the native and irradiated crotamine spectra were different with regard to secondary structure. The thermodynamic analysis showed that irradiation caused changes in the calorimetric profile and CD showed that temperature-induced changes also occur in the secondary structure. Finally, AFM showed the possible formation of insoluble aggregates. Our results indicate that irradiation leads to progressive changes in the structure of the toxin, which could explain a decrease in myotoxic activity.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 11 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 11 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Professor 3 27%
Student > Bachelor 2 18%
Student > Doctoral Student 1 9%
Student > Ph. D. Student 1 9%
Student > Master 1 9%
Other 1 9%
Unknown 2 18%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 3 27%
Immunology and Microbiology 3 27%
Materials Science 1 9%
Unknown 4 36%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 4. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 21 May 2015.
All research outputs
#7,714,565
of 25,374,917 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
#155
of 539 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#84,982
of 280,290 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases
#5
of 10 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,374,917 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 69th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 539 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.6. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 71% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 280,290 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 69% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 10 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has scored higher than 5 of them.