Thiaminase Literature

[Cazador]

Hi Zach,

I'm the author of the thiaminase article referenced above, and I admit that a more thorough bibliography is long overdue. Time is the limiting factor, though. One point that I'd like to clarify is that the article is not specific to humans, nor even primarily based on human-data. Take a second look at the existing bibliography. It's primarily based on biochemistry and mechanistic data and primarily based on animal models. Since you're studying biochemical reactions, I won't quibble over assumptions or the ubiquity of common form and function in biology.

For the type of information you're after, you'll need to find the concentration of thiaminase enzymes in P. promelas, specifically. For that I would start by checking the reference on page one of the table (Deutch and Hasler, 1943). You'll find more info at the big U.S. herpitology society websites and in their journals. Have a look at www.asih.org and Web Portal - CNAH The Center for North American Herpetology. Though I suspect you've already done so, be sure to stop by your university library and do a search through their academic databases. Some of the best sources that you shouldn't overlook are veterinary textbooks for reptiles. Here's one I highly recommend (Infectious Diseases and Pathology of Reptiles by Elliot Jacobson). Finally, a google search might turn up references or even names of specialists in the field, whose name you can query in the scientific literature. Sorry I can't help you more at the moment, but I'm preparing for my own presentation for a conference in Washington DC in two weeks.

Finally, the quote about snakes dying from goldfish in 6-9 months may not be of use to you. I got it from one of my "hobbiest" handbooks, which aren't peer reviewed. Unfortunately, it also corresponds to my own observations before I knew about the thiaminase enzyme and its effects. Hope this helps,

Rick