Citation

Diego-Garcia E, Peigneur S, Clynen E, Marien T, Czech L, Schoofs L, Tytgat J. Proteomics 2012; 12(2): 313-328.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Toxicology, University of Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, O&N2, PO Box 922, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/pmic.201100409

PMID

22121013

Abstract

Venom from the scorpion Pandinus cavimanus was obtained by electrical stimulation of the telson (stinger). Total venom was toxic to crickets at 7-30 μg and a paralysis or lethal effect was observed at 30 μg of venom (death at 1.5 μg / mg of cricket). Electrophysiological analyses showed cytolytic activity of total venom on oocytes at 7 μg. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) allowed separation of the venom components. A total of thirty-eight fractions from total venom were tested on voltage-gated Na(+) and K(+) channels. Some fractions block K(+) currents in different degree. By using mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, we obtained more than 700 different molecular masses from telson and venom fractions (by LC-MS/MS and MALDI-TOF MS analyses). The number of disulfide bridges of the telson components was determined. A cDNA library from Pandinus cavimanus scorpion was constructed and a random sequencing screening of transcripts was conducted. Different clones were obtained and analyzed by bioinformatics tools. Our results reveal information of new genes related to some cellular processes and genes involved in venom gland functions (toxins, phospholipases and antimicrobial peptides). Expressed sequence tags from venom glands provide complementary information to mass spectrometry analysis and reveal undescribed components related to the biological activity of the venom.

Language: en