# Exploring the Venom Diversity of Australian Taipans: Comparative Characterization of Oxyuranus microlepidotus and Oxyuranus scutellatus

## TL;DR

This study compares the venom of two Australian taipan snakes to understand their unique toxic effects and potential medical uses.

## Contribution

The research identifies distinct venom protein profiles in two taipan species, revealing lineage-specific adaptations and potential biomedical applications.

## Key findings

- Nine shared venom protein families were identified, including PLA2 and 3FTx.
- O. microlepidotus venom showed higher diversity in 3FTxs and unique proteins like Waprin.
- O. scutellatus venom had a higher abundance of PLA2s, which may explain differences in toxicity.

## Abstract

The genus Oxyuranus, which includes some of the most venomous snakes in the world, presents a complex venom composition with potent neurotoxic and procoagulant effects. This study provides a comparative proteomic analysis of the venom of Oxyuranus microlepidotus (Inland Taipan) and Oxyuranus scutellatus (Coastal Taipan), aiming to elucidate the molecular basis underlying their distinct toxicological profiles. Using high-resolution chromatographic fractionation and LC-MS/MS, we identified a core set of nine protein families shared between both species, including phospholipases A2 (PLA2), three-finger toxins (3FTx), natriuretic peptides (NTP), nerve growth factors (NGF), and prothrombin activators (PTA). O. microlepidotus venom exhibited greater diversity of 3FTxs and unique protein families, such as Waprin and 5′-nucleotidases, suggesting lineage-specific functional adaptations. Quantitative analysis revealed a greater relative abundance of PLA2s in O. scutellatus (66%) compared to O. microlepidotus (47%), whereas 3FTXs were more prominent in O. microlepidotus (33% vs. 9%). These interspecific differences likely underlie the distinct clinical manifestations of envenomation and reflect evolutionary divergence in the venom composition. Our findings provide molecular insights into taipan venom complexity and highlight novel toxin candidates with potential biomedical applications in neurobiology, hemostasis, and anti-infective therapy.