Discovery of the Gene Encoding a Novel Small Serum Protein (SSP) of and the Evolution of SSPs.

Small serum proteins (SSPs) are low-molecular-weight proteins in snake serum with affinities for various venom proteins. Five SSPs, SSP-1 through SSP-5, have been reported in ("habu", ) serum so far. Recently, we reported that the five genes encoding these SSPs are arranged in tandem on a single chromosome.

Alternative mRNA Splicing in Three Venom Families Underlying a Possible Production of Divergent Venom Proteins of the Habu Snake, .

Snake venoms are complex mixtures of toxic proteins encoded by various gene families that function synergistically to incapacitate prey. A huge repertoire of snake venom genes and proteins have been reported, and alternative splicing is suggested to be involved in the production of divergent gene transcripts. However, a genome-wide survey of the transcript repertoire and the extent of alternative splicing still remains to be determined.

The habu genome reveals accelerated evolution of venom protein genes.

Evolution of novel traits is a challenging subject in biological research. Several snake lineages developed elaborate venom systems to deliver complex protein mixtures for prey capture. To understand mechanisms involved in snake venom evolution, we decoded here the ~1.

The taxonomic position and the unexpected divergence of the Habu viper, Protobothrops among Japanese subtropical islands.

There are four Habu species currently recognized in Japan: Protobothrops flavoviridis from the Amami Islands and the Okinawa Islands, P. tokarensis from the Tokara Islands, P. elegans from the Yaeyama Islands and Ovophis okinabvensis from the Amami Islands and the Okinawa Islands.

A novel missense mutation of RYR1 in familial idiopathic hyper CK-emia.

Persistent elevation of serum creatine kinase (CK) without any symptoms has been called idiopathic hyper CK-emia (IHCK). We examined a four-generation Japanese pedigree of familial IHCK. The multipoint linkage analysis of the pedigree showed seven clear peaks of logarithm of odds (LOD) scores (>1.