Figure 5
Toxin discovery process. A. Traditional strategy. Analyzed species are chosen randomly, and may correspond to a single lineage. Prospective toxin analysis starts first with characterization of venom components by HPLC (venom fractionation). B. Concerted Discovery Strategy (CDS). Taxonomic tools are used first to identify independent lineages to maximize the species, and thus teretoxin diversity, and then to analyze the numerous cDNA compounds isolated from each analyzed specimen. Application of CDS increases discovery of divergent teretoxins.