Citation

Cid-Uribe JI, Veytia-Bucheli JI, Romero-Gutierrez T, Ortiz E, Possani LD. Expert Rev. Proteomics 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Future Drugs)

DOI

10.1080/14789450.2020.1705158

PMID

31834817

Abstract

Introduction: A few scorpions are dangerous to humans. Their medical relevance was the initial driving force for venom research. By classical biochemistry and molecular cloning, several venom peptides and their coding transcripts were characterized, mainly those related to toxins. The discovery of other components with novel activities and potential applications has revitalized the interest in the field in the last decade and a half. Non-toxic scorpion species have also attracted major interest.Areas covered: Advances in the identification of scorpion venom components via high-throughput venomics (genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics) up to 2019 are summarized. A classification system for venom-related transcripts and proteins, together with an intuitive systematic nomenclature for RNAseq-generated transcripts are proposed. Venom components classified as Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl^- and TRP channel toxins, enzymes, protease inhibitors, host defense peptides and other peptidic molecules are briefly reviewed, giving a comprehensive picture of the venom.Expert opinion: Modern high-throughput technologies applied to scorpion venom studies have resulted in a dramatic increase in both, the number and diversity of available sequences, leading to a deeper understanding of the composition of scorpion venoms. Still, many newly-discovered venom constituents remain to be characterized, to complete the puzzle of scorpion venoms.

Language: en

Keywords

Genomics; proteomics; scorpion; transcriptomics; venomics