Citation

Oukkache N, Rosso JP, Alami M, Ghalim N, Saïle R, Hassar M, Bougis PE, Martin-Eauclaire MF. Toxicon 2008; 51(5): 835-852.

Affiliation

Faculté de Médecine Secteur Nord, CNRS FRE 2738, BIMC, Institut Jean Roche, Université de la Méditerranée, bd Pierre Dramard, 13916 Marseille Cedex 20, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.toxicon.2007.12.012

PMID

18243273

Abstract

Scorpion venoms are very complex mixtures of molecules, most of which are peptides displaying different kinds of biological activity. Indeed, these peptides specifically bind to a variety of pharmacological targets, in particular ionic channels located in prey tissues, resulting in neurotoxic effects. Toxins modulating Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Cl(-) currents have been described in scorpion venoms. In this work, we have used several specific antibodies raised against the most lethal scorpion toxins already described to screen the Moroccan scorpion Androctonus mauretanicus mauretanicus venom in order to characterize new compounds. This immunological screening was also implemented by toxicity tests in mice and with mass spectrometry study, providing new informations on the molecular composition of this venom. In fine, we were able to determine the molecular masses of 70-80 different compounds. According to the immunological data obtained, many toxins cross-react with three sera raised against the most lethal alpha-toxins found in North African scorpion venoms, but not at all with those raised against the main beta-toxins from South and North American venoms. Some of the previously described toxins from Androctonus mauretanicus mauretanicus venom could thus be detected by combining immunological tests, toxicity in mice and molecular masses. Among these toxins, one of them, which showed a mild cross-reaction with the serum raised against AaH I (a highly potent toxin from the venom of Androctonus australis), was identified as Amm III and fully sequenced.

Language: en