VenomCap: An exon-capture probe set for the targeted sequencing of snake venom genes

Snake venoms are complex mixtures of toxic proteins with important medical and pharmacological relevance. To explore the genetic diversity of these venoms, VenomCap was created—an exon-capture probe set targeting toxin-coding genes in various elapid snakes, especially the Hydrophiinae subfamily. Testing on 24 species showed VenomCap’s success in recovering exons from about 1500 target markers, covering 24 known venom gene families. The results were particularly robust among hydrophiines, demonstrating its effectiveness as a cost-efficient alternative to full genome sequencing. VenomCap facilitates the study of venom gene diversity and evolution, with potential applications across other venomous snake families.