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Wiezel GA, Oliveira IS, Reis MB, Ferreira IG, Cordeiro KR, Bordon KCF, Arantes EC. The complex repertoire of Tityus spp. venoms: Advances on their composition and pharmacological potential of their toxins. Biochimie 2024; 220:144-166. [PMID: 38176606 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Animal venoms are a rich and complex source of components, including peptides (such as neurotoxins, anionic peptides and hypotensins), lipids, proteins (such as proteases, hyaluronidases and phospholipases) and inorganic compounds, which affect all biological systems of the envenoming victim. Their action may result in a wide range of clinical manifestations, including tachy/bradycardia, hyper/hypotension, disorders in blood coagulation, pain, edema, inflammation, fever, muscle paralysis, coma and even death. Scorpions are one of the most studied venomous animals in the world and interesting bioactive molecules have been isolated and identified from their venoms over the years. Tityus spp. are among the scorpions with high number of accidents reported in the Americas, especially in Brazil. Their venoms have demonstrated interesting results in the search for novel agents with antimicrobial, anti-viral, anti-parasitic, hypotensive, immunomodulation, anti-insect, antitumor and/or antinociceptive activities. Furthermore, other recent activities still under investigation include drug delivery action, design of anti-epileptic drugs, investigation of sodium channel function, treatment of erectile disfunction and priapism, improvement of scorpion antivenom and chelating molecules activity. In this scenario, this paper focuses on reviewing advances on Tityus venom components mainly through the modern omics technologies as well as addressing potential therapeutic agents from their venoms and highlighting this abundant source of pharmacologically active molecules with biotechnological application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisele A Wiezel
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida Do Café s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Isadora S Oliveira
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida Do Café s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søtolfts Plads, Building 239 Room 006, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark.
| | - Mouzarllem B Reis
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida Do Café s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Isabela G Ferreira
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida Do Café s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Kalynka R Cordeiro
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida Do Café s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Karla C F Bordon
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida Do Café s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Eliane C Arantes
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida Do Café s/n, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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Ramanan da Cruz J, Bulet P, Mendonça de Moraes C. Exploring the potential of Brazilian Amazonian scorpion venoms: A comprehensive review of research from 2001 to 2021. Toxicon X 2024; 21:100182. [PMID: 38226138 PMCID: PMC10788795 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2023.100182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The Amazon biome is home to many scorpion species, with around two hundred identified in the region. Of these, forty-eight species have been reported in Brazil so far and six of them are of medical importance: Tityus apiacas, T. metuendus, T. obscurus, T. raquelae, T. silvestris, and T. strandi. Three non-medically important species have also been studied: Opisthanthuscayaporum, Brotheas amazonicus and Rhopalurus laticauda. The venom of the scorpion T. obscurus is the most studied, followed by O. cayaporum. We aim to update the study of these Amazonian scorpion species. We will explore the harmful and beneficial properties of scorpion venom toxins and how they could be applied in drug development. This systematic review will focus on collecting and analyzing venoms from scorpions in Brazil. Only papers on Amazonian scorpion venom studies published between 2001 and 2021 (scientific articles, theses, and dissertations) were selected, based on the lists of scorpions available in the literature. Species found in the Amazon but not confirmed to be Brazilian were omitted from the review. Theses and dissertations were chosen over their derived articles. We found 42 eligible studies (13 theses, 27 articles and 2 patents) out of 17,950 studies and a basic statistical analysis was performed. The literature showed that T. obscurus was the most studied venom with 28 publications, followed by O. cayaporum with seven articles, B. amazonicus with four articles, T. metuendus with two article and R. laticauda with one article. No publication on the characterization of T. silvestris and T. apiacas venoms were found during the reviewed period, only the clinical aspects were covered. There is still much to be explored despite the increasing number of studies conducted in recent years. Amazonian scorpions have promising potential for pharmaceutical and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Ramanan da Cruz
- Post-graduation Program in Health and Biodiversity, Federal University of Roraima, Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil
| | - Philippe Bulet
- Institute pour l’Avancée des Biosciences, CR Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, 38000, Grenoble, France
- Platform BioPark Archamps, ArchParc, 218 Avenue Marie Curie, 74160, Archamps, France
| | - Cléria Mendonça de Moraes
- Post-graduation Program in Health and Biodiversity, Federal University of Roraima, Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil
- Health Sciences Center and Post-graduation Program in Health and Biodiversity, Federal University of Roraima, Boa Vista, Roraima, Brazil
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Pereira DB, Martins JG, Oliveira MS, Lima-Júnior RS, Rocha LC, Andrade SL, Procópio REL. Leishmanicidal activity of the venoms of the Scorpions Brotheas amazonicus and Tityus metuendus. BRAZ J BIOL 2023; 83:e276872. [PMID: 38055507 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.276872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector-transmitted zoonosis caused by different species of the genus Leishmania, with a wide clinical spectrum. It is a public health problem aggravated by a series of limitations regarding treatment. In the search for new therapeutic alternatives, scorpion venoms are a source of multifunctional molecules that act against the natural resistance of pathogens. This work evaluated the antileishmanial potential of Brotheas amazonicus and Tityus metuendus venoms against the promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis e Leishmania guyanensis. The venoms of B. amazonicus and T. metuendus were evaluated for their constituents using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Growth inhibition and death of promastigotes were evaluated in the presence of diferente crude venom concentrations (100 µg/mL, 50 µg/mL, 10 µg/mL, 1 µg/mL) after one hour of incubation at 25 °C. The FTIR spectra of both venoms exhibited bands in approximate regions, revealing that both exhibit similar functional groups. Crude venom from both scorpion species showed similar or superior leishmanicidal effects to the standart drug N-methylglucamine antimoniate. At the highest concentration of 100 µg/mL, cultures of L. guyanensis treated with the venom of B. amazonicus showed the highest mortality percentages, above 28%, while T. metuendus venom showed the highest activity against L. amazonensis, with mortality above 7%. This preliminar study demonstrates that B. amazonicus and T. metuendus venoms can be important tools in the search for new drugs Against leishmaniasis. Next step involves evaluating the activity against the amastigote forms and purifying the venom proteins in order to identify the best anti-leishmania candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- D B Pereira
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas - UEA, Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde - ESA, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - J G Martins
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - M S Oliveira
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas - UEA, Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde - ESA, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - R S Lima-Júnior
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas - UEA, Escola Normal Superior - ENS, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - L C Rocha
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas - UEA, Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde - ESA, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - S L Andrade
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas - UEA, Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde - ESA, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - R E L Procópio
- Universidade do Estado do Amazonas - UEA, Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde - ESA, Manaus, AM, Brasil
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Reis MB, Martins JG, Bordon KDCF, de Campos Fraga-Silva TF, de Lima Procópio RE, de Almeida BRR, Bonato VLD, Arantes EC. Pioneering in vitro characterization of macrophage response induced by scorpion venoms from the Brazilian Amazon. Toxicon 2023; 230:107171. [PMID: 37211059 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
There are several scorpion species of medical relevance around the world. Some of them are well characterized by their toxins and clinical outcomes. Brazilian Amazon has a great amount of these arthropods that have an impact in the scorpionism events specifically in this region of Brazil. Recently, several studies pointed out the immune system activation during scorpion envenouming as an important facet of scorpionism, inducing a sepsis-like state that culminates in clinical severity and death. In this work, we characterized the macrophage response of three species of clinical relevance in Brazilian Amazon: Tityus silvestris, T. metuendus and T. obscurus and one specie with no toxic effects to humans, Brotheas amazonicus. All the four species analyzed were able to induce pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production in a J774.1 murine macrophage model. This activation was dependent on TLR2/TLR4/MyD88 activation and abolished by TLRs antagonists. These results suggest that the venoms of the four species analyzed were able to induce macrophage response in agreement to the well-established immune activation by T. serrulatus venom. Our findings provide new insights into the clinical repercussions of scorpionism of uncharacterized species and point to new biotechnological applications of these venoms and possible supportive therapies in scorpionism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouzarllem Barros Reis
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; School of Medicine, Centro Universitário Barão de Mauá (CBM), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Jonas Gama Martins
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Conservation and Evolutionary Biology (PPG GCBEv), National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Karla de Castro Figueiredo Bordon
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Thais Fernanda de Campos Fraga-Silva
- Program of Basic and Applied Immunology, And Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Rudi Emerson de Lima Procópio
- Graduate Program in Biotechnology and Natural Resources of Amazon, University of the State of Amazonas (UEA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | | | - Vânia Luiza Deperon Bonato
- Program of Basic and Applied Immunology, And Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliane Candiani Arantes
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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Hilal I, Khourcha S, Safi A, Hmyene A, Asnawi S, Othman I, Stöcklin R, Oukkache N. Comparative Proteomic Analysis of the Venoms from the Most Dangerous Scorpions in Morocco: Androctonus mauritanicus and Buthus occitanus. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051133. [PMID: 37240778 DOI: 10.3390/life13051133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Morocco is known to harbor two of the world's most dangerous scorpion species: the black Androctonus mauritanicus (Am) and the yellow Buthus occitanus (Bo), responsible for 83% and 14% of severe envenomation cases, respectively. Scorpion venom is a mixture of biological molecules of variable structures and activities, most of which are proteins of low molecular weights referred to as toxins. In addition to toxins, scorpion venoms also contain biogenic amines, polyamines, and enzymes. With the aim of investigating the composition of the Am and Bo venoms, we conducted an analysis of the venoms by mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) after separation by reversed-phase HPLC chromatography. Results from a total of 19 fractions obtained for the Am venom versus 22 fractions for the Bo venom allowed the identification of approximately 410 and 252 molecular masses, respectively. In both venoms, the most abundant toxins were found to range between 2-5 kDa and 6-8 kDa. This proteomic analysis not only allowed the drawing of an extensive mass fingerprint of the Androctonus mauritanicus and Buthus occitanus venoms but also provided a better insight into the nature of their toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Hilal
- Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca 20360, Morocco
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Environment and Food Technology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Mohammedia, Mohammedia 20650, Morocco
| | - Soukaina Khourcha
- Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca 20360, Morocco
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Environment and Food Technology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Mohammedia, Mohammedia 20650, Morocco
| | - Amal Safi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Environment and Food Technology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Mohammedia, Mohammedia 20650, Morocco
| | - Abdelaziz Hmyene
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Environment and Food Technology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Mohammedia, Mohammedia 20650, Morocco
| | - Syafiq Asnawi
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
| | - Iekhsan Othman
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway 47500, Malaysia
| | - Reto Stöcklin
- Atheris Laboratories, Case Postale 314, CH-1233 Bernex, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Naoual Oukkache
- Laboratory of Venoms and Toxins, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, Casablanca 20360, Morocco
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Martins JG, de Castro Figueiredo Bordon K, Moreno-González JA, Almeida B, Pardal P, Lira A, Candido D, Arantes EC, Procópio R. On the noxious black Amazonian scorpion, Tityus obscurus (Scorpiones, Buthidae): Taxonomic notes, biology, medical importance and envenoming treatment. Toxicon 2023; 228:107125. [PMID: 37054995 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Tityus obscurus has caused mild, moderate and severe accidents of medical relevance in the eastern Brazilian Amazon and French Guiana. Tityus obscurus has sexual dimorphism although males and females have uniform black coloration. In the Amazon, one of the habitats of this scorpion is seasonally flooded forests (igapós and várzeas). However, most stings occur in terra firme forest areas (non-flooded region), where most rural communities are located. Adults and children stung by T. obscurus may experience an "electric shock" sensation for more than 30 h after the sting. Our data shows that people inhabiting remote forest areas, including rubber tappers, fishermen and indigenous people, with no access to anti-scorpion serum, use parts of native plants, such as seeds and leaves, against pain and vomiting caused by scorpion stings. Although there is a technical effort to produce and distribute antivenoms in the Amazon, many cases of scorpion stings are geographically unpredictable in this region, due to the lack of detailed knowledge of the natural distribution of these animals. In this manuscript, we compile information on the natural history of T. obscurus and the impact of its envenoming on human health. We identify the natural sites that host this scorpion in the Amazon, in order to warn about the risk of human envenoming. The use of specific antivenom serum is the recommended treatment for accidents involving venomous animals. However, atypical symptoms not neutralized by the available commercial antivenom are reported in the Amazon region. Facing this scenario, we present some challenges to the study of venomous animals in the Amazon rainforest and possible experimental bottlenecks and perspectives for establishing a method aimed at producing an efficient antivenom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Gama Martins
- Pós-Graduação em Genética, Conservação e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| | - Karla de Castro Figueiredo Bordon
- Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Jairo A Moreno-González
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History New York, Central Park West at 79th Street, 10024-5192, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Bruno Almeida
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Itaituba, PA, Brazil
| | - Pedro Pardal
- Laboratório de Entomologia Médica e Animais Peçonhentos, Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - André Lira
- Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Centro de Educação e Saúde, Cuité, PB, Brazil
| | - Denise Candido
- Laboratório de Artrópodes, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliane Candiani Arantes
- Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Rudi Procópio
- Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia e Recursos Naturais da Amazônia, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
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Nystrom GS, Ellsworth SA, Rokyta DR. The remarkably enzyme-rich venom of the Big Bend Scorpion (Diplocentrus whitei). Toxicon 2023; 226:107080. [PMID: 36907567 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Scorpion venoms have long been studied for their peptide discovery potential, with modern high-throughput venom-characterization techniques paving the way for the discovery of thousands of novel putative toxins. Research into these toxins has provided insight into the pathology and treatment of human diseases, even resulting in the development of one compound with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Although most of this research has focused on the toxins of scorpion species considered medically significant to humans, the venom of harmless scorpion species possess toxins that are homologous to those from medically significant species, indicating that harmless scorpion venoms may also serve as valuable sources of novel peptide variants. Furthermore, as harmless scorpions represent a vast majority of scorpion species diversity, and therefore venom toxin diversity, venoms from these species likely contain entirely new toxin classes. We sequenced the venom-gland transcriptome and venom proteome of two male Big Bend scorpions (Diplocentrus whitei), providing the first high-throughput venom characterization for a member of this genus. We identified a total of 82 toxins in the venom of D. whitei, 25 of which were identified in both the transcriptome and proteome, and 57 of which were only identified in the transcriptome. Furthermore, we identified a unique, enzyme-rich venom dominated by serine proteases and the first arylsulfatase B toxins identified in scorpions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar S Nystrom
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Schyler A Ellsworth
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Darin R Rokyta
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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Kalapothakis Y, Miranda K, Molina DAM, Conceição IMCA, Larangote D, Op den Camp HJM, Kalapothakis E, Chávez-Olórtegui C, Borges A. An overview of Tityus cisandinus scorpion venom: Transcriptome and mass fingerprinting reveal conserved toxin homologs across the Amazon region and novel lipolytic components. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 225:1246-1266. [PMID: 36427608 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.11.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Tityus cisandinus, a neglected medically important scorpion in Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazonia, belongs to a complex of species related to the eastern Amazon endemic Tityus obscurus, spanning a distribution of ca. 4000 km. Despite high morbidity and mortality rates, no effective scorpion antivenom is currently available in the Amazon region. Knowledge of the structural/functional relationships between T. cisandinus venom components and those from related Amazonian species is crucial for designing region-specific therapeutic antivenoms. In this work, we carried out the first venom gland transcriptomic study of an Amazonian scorpion outside Brazil, T. cisandinus. We also fingerprinted its total venom through MALDI-TOF MS, which supported our transcriptomic findings. We identified and calculated the expression level of 94 components: 60 toxins, 25 metalloproteases, five disulfide isomerases, three amidating enzymes, one hyaluronidase, and also uncovered transcripts encoding novel lipolytic beta subunits produced by New World buthid scorpions. This study demonstrates the high similarity between T. cisandinus and T. obscurus venoms, reinforcing the existence of a neglected complex of genetically and toxinologically related Amazonian scorpions of medical importance. Finally, we demonstrated the low recognition of currently available therapeutic sera against T. cisandinus and T. obscurus venoms, and concluded that these should be improved to protect against envenomation by Amazonian Tityus spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Kalapothakis
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Kelton Miranda
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Denis Alexis Molina Molina
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Izabela Mamede Costa Andrade Conceição
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Débora Larangote
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Huub J M Op den Camp
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, NL-6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Evanguedes Kalapothakis
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Carlos Chávez-Olórtegui
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, CEP: 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Adolfo Borges
- Instituto de Medicina Experimental, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela; Centro para el Desarrollo de la Investigación Científica, CEDIC, Asunción 1255, Paraguay.
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Vaucel JA, Larréché S, Paradis C, Courtois A, Pujo JM, Elenga N, Résière D, Caré W, de Haro L, Gallart JC, Torrents R, Schmitt C, Chevalier J, Labadie M, Kallel H. French Scorpionism (Mainland and Oversea Territories): Narrative Review of Scorpion Species, Scorpion Venom, and Envenoming Management. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14100719. [PMID: 36287987 PMCID: PMC9611377 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14100719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Sixty-seven scorpion species have been described in France and its territories, where they have been found to be heterogeneously distributed. Indeed, only one species can be found on Réunion Island, while 38 species exist in French Guiana. The number of stings is also heterogenous, with up to 90 stings per 100,000 inhabitants occurring annually. Scorpion species can frequently be determined through simple visual factors, including species of medical importance (i.e., Buthus, Centruroides and Tityus). Scorpion venom is composed of local enzymes and peptides with a cysteine-stabilized α/β motif (NaTxs, Ktxs, Calcines), which allow for venom diffusion and the prey's incapacitation, respectively. Harmful scorpion species are limited to Centruroides pococki in the French West Indies, which can induce severe envenoming, and the Tityus obscurus and Tityus silvestris in French Guiana, which can cause fatalities in children and can induce severe envenoming, respectively. Envenomation by one of these scorpions requires hospital monitoring as long as systemic symptoms persist. Typical management includes the use of a lidocaine patch, pain killers, and local antiseptic. In the case of heart failure, the use of dobutamine can improve survival, and pregnant women must consult an obstetrician because of the elevated risk of preterm birth or stillbirth. France does not have scorpion antivenom, as scorpion stings are generally not fatal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules-Antoine Vaucel
- Bordeaux Poison Control Centre, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire Bordeaux Pellegrin, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-05-5679-8776
| | - Sébastien Larréché
- Medical Biology Department, Hôpital d’Instruction Des Armées Bégin, 94160 Saint-Mandé, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR-S 1144, Université de Paris, 75000 Paris, France
| | - Camille Paradis
- Bordeaux Poison Control Centre, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire Bordeaux Pellegrin, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Arnaud Courtois
- Bordeaux Poison Control Centre, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire Bordeaux Pellegrin, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-Marc Pujo
- Emergency Department, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, 97300 Cayenne, France
| | - Narcisse Elenga
- Pediatric Unit, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, 97300 Cayenne, France
| | - Dabor Résière
- Intensive Care Unit, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire Martinique, 97200 Fort de France, France
| | - Weniko Caré
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR-S 1144, Université de Paris, 75000 Paris, France
- Paris Poison Control Center, Fédération de Toxicologie (FeTox), Hôpital Fernand Widal, AP-HP, 75000 Paris, France
- Internal Medicine Department, Hôpital d’Instruction des Armées Bégin, 94160 Val-de-Marne, France
| | - Luc de Haro
- Marseille Poison Control Centre, Assistance Public des Hôpitaux de Marseille, 13000 Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Gallart
- Toulouse Poison Control Centre, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Toulouse, 31000 Toulouse, France
| | - Romain Torrents
- Marseille Poison Control Centre, Assistance Public des Hôpitaux de Marseille, 13000 Marseille, France
| | - Corinne Schmitt
- Marseille Poison Control Centre, Assistance Public des Hôpitaux de Marseille, 13000 Marseille, France
| | | | - Magali Labadie
- Bordeaux Poison Control Centre, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire Bordeaux Pellegrin, 33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Hatem Kallel
- Intensive Care Unit, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, 97300 Cayenne, France
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Marchi FC, Mendes-Silva E, Rodrigues-Ribeiro L, Bolais-Ramos LG, Verano-Braga T. Toxinology in the proteomics era: a review on arachnid venom proteomics. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2022; 28:20210034. [PMID: 35291269 PMCID: PMC8893269 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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11
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Borges A, Graham MR, Cândido DM, Pardal PPO. Amazonian scorpions and scorpionism: integrating toxinological, clinical, and phylogenetic data to combat a human health crisis in the world's most diverse rainfores. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2021; 27:e20210028. [PMID: 34887908 PMCID: PMC8629433 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Venom from Amazonian scorpions of the genus Tityus contains components capable of eliciting a distinct clinical, mostly neurological, syndrome. This contrasts with the mainly autonomic manifestations produced after envenomation by congeneric southern and northern South American species. Herein, we summarize Pan-Amazonian scorpionism by synthesizing available toxinological, clinical, and molecular data gathered from all affected areas in Amazonia, including Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, and French Guiana. We searched multiple databases, as well as our own records, for reports of scorpion envenomations in Amazonia by confirmed Tityus spp., and compared the clinical manifestations. To help uncover clinical and venom relationships among problematic species, we explored phylogenetic relationships with a rate-calibrated analysis of mitochondrial COI data from available species. The possible existence of diversity gradients for venom toxic and immunogenic components despite the predicted strong phylogenetic association among species is underscored by discussed clinical and toxinological findings. A multicentric effort, involving all nations affected by this neglected disease, is urgently needed to offer alternatives for treating and understanding this pathology, including the preparation of neutralizing antibodies with a broad range of efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adolfo Borges
- Center for the Development of Scientific Research (CEDIC), Asunción,
Paraguay
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Toxins and Receptors, Institute
of Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela,
Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Matthew R. Graham
- Department of Biology, Eastern Connecticut State University,
Willimantic, CT, United States
| | | | - Pedro P. O. Pardal
- Laboratory of Medical Entomology and Venomous Animals, Center of
Tropical Medicine, Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém, PA, Brazil
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12
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Martins JG, Santos GC, Procópio REDL, Arantes EC, Bordon KDCF. Scorpion species of medical importance in the Brazilian Amazon: a review to identify knowledge gaps. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2021; 27:e20210012. [PMID: 34589120 PMCID: PMC8452272 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Scorpionism is a relevant medical condition in Brazil. It is responsible for most accidents involving venomous animals in the country, which leads to severe symptoms that can evolve to death. In recent years, an increase of almost 50% in the incidence of scorpionism has been observed in the Northern Region, where the highest severity of envenoming has been notified since the beginning of the 21st century. This review aims to provide an in-depth assessment of public data and reports on symptoms and epidemiology of envenoming, ecological aspects of scorpions, and characterization of venoms and toxins to access the gaps that need to be filled in the knowledge of the scorpion species of medical importance from the Brazilian Amazon. A systematic search using the string words "Amazon" and "scorpion" was performed on 11 databases. No restriction on date, language or status of the publication was applied. Reports not related to the Brazilian Amazon were excluded. Therefore, 88 studies remained. It is shown that populations of scorpions of medical importance, even of the same species, may present significant toxic variations peculiar to some regions in the Brazilian Amazon, and commercial scorpion antivenoms were not able to shorten the intensity and duration of neurological manifestations in patients stung by T. silvestris, T. apiacas or T. obscurus. It is also highlighted that the toxins responsible for triggering these alterations have not been elucidated yet and this is a fruitful field for the development of more efficient antivenoms. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of scorpions of the genus Tityus in the Brazilian Amazon was revised and updated. The cumulative and detailed information provided in this review may help physicians and scientists interested in scorpionism in the Brazilian Amazon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Gama Martins
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Conservation and Evolutionary Biology
(PPG GCBEv), National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA), Manaus, AM,
Brazil
| | - Gabrielle Cristina Santos
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP,
Brazil
| | - Rudi Emerson de Lima Procópio
- Graduate Program in Biotechnology and Natural Resources of Amazon,
University of the State of Amazonas (UEA), Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Eliane Candiani Arantes
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP,
Brazil
| | - Karla de Castro Figueiredo Bordon
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, SP,
Brazil
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13
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Magalhães ACM, de Santana CJC, Melani RD, Domont GB, Castro MS, Fontes W, Roepstorff P, Júnior ORP. Exploring the biological activities and proteome of Brazilian scorpion Rhopalurus agamemnon venom. J Proteomics 2021; 237:104119. [PMID: 33540062 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Scorpion venoms are formed by toxins harmful to various organisms, including humans. Several techniques have been developed to understand the role of proteins in animal venoms, including proteomics approach. Rhopalurus agamemnon (Koch, 1839) is the largest scorpion in the Buthidae family in the Brazilian Cerrado, measuring up to 110 mm in total length. The accident with R. agamemnon is painful and causes some systemic reactions, but the specie's venom remains uninvestigated. We explore the venom protein composition using a proteomic and a biological-directed approach identifying 230 protein compounds including enzymes like Hyaluronidase, metalloproteinase, L-amino acid oxidase and amylase, the last two are first reported for scorpion venoms. Some of those new reports are important to demonstrate how distant we are from a total comprehension of the diversity about venoms in general, due to their diversity in composition and function. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we explored the composition of venom proteins from the scorpion Rhopalurus agamemnon. We identified 230 proteins from the venom including new enzyme reports. These data highlight the unique diversity of the venom proteins from the scorpion R. agamemnon, provide insights into new mechanisms of envenomation and enlarge the protein database of scorpion venoms. The discovery of new proteins provides a new scenario for the development of new drugs and suggests molecular targets to venom components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Martins Magalhães
- Toxinology Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil.
| | - Carlos José Correia de Santana
- Toxinology Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology/IB, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Rafael D Melani
- Proteomic Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gilberto B Domont
- Proteomic Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana S Castro
- Toxinology Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil; Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology/IB, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Wagner Fontes
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology/IB, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Peter Roepstorff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M 5230, Denmark
| | - Osmindo Rodrigues Pires Júnior
- Toxinology Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia-DF 70910-900, Brazil
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14
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Gomes JV, Fé NF, Santos HLR, Jung B, Bisneto PF, Sachett A, de Moura VM, Mendonça da Silva I, Cardoso de Melo G, Pereira de Oliveira Pardal P, Lacerda M, Sampaio V, Wen FH, de Almeida Gonçalves Sachett J, Monteiro WM. Clinical profile of confirmed scorpion stings in a referral center in Manaus, Western Brazilian Amazon. Toxicon 2020; 187:245-254. [PMID: 32991937 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Scorpion envenomations are a major public health problem in Brazil, and most medically important cases are attributable to the Tityus genus. The objective of this study is to describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects of a series of 151 cases of confirmed scorpion stings, which were treated at the hospitals of two cities in the Western Brazilian Amazon, between June 2014 and December 2019. This study shows that the genus Tityus was the most prevalent. Tityus (Atreus) metuendus (Pocock, 1897) was responsible for the greatest number of cases (68.2%), followed by Tityus (Archaeotityus) silvestris (Pocock, 1897) (14.6%). Most of the envenomations involved males (53.6%), and analysis showed a slight predominance in the group from 40 to 49 years (22.5%). The most affected body regions were feet (49.0%) and hands (31.8%). The time elapsed between the accident and medical care was ≤6 h in 92.1% of cases. Regarding clinical severity, classes I (80.8%) and II (15.9%) predominated. However, there were five (3.3%) class III cases; four for T. metuendus and one for T. silvestris. The most frequent local and systemic manifestations were, respectively, pain (84.1%), paresthesia (34.4%) and mild edema (25.8%), and nausea (9.3%) and myoclonia (8.6%). The clinical manifestations were similar among the patients stung by the different species of scorpions. There were no differences between the manifestations of envenomation caused by T. metuendus, T. silvestris and T. raquelae. For victims of T. apiacas, a higher frequency of piloerection and myoclonia was observed, and was described by the affected patients as a 'sensation of receiving an electric shock' throughout the body. No deaths were registered. The species of greatest epidemiological importance in Manaus is T. metuendus, a species that leads to clinical pictures that do not differ substantially from those observed in other Brazilian regions. T. apiacas causes neurological manifestations that differed from other Tityus species. Our findings suggest that the available antivenoms have little effectiveness when used in the treatment of envenomations by some Amazonian scorpions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacimara Vasques Gomes
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Nelson Ferreira Fé
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Hildegard Loren Rebouças Santos
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Bruna Jung
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Pedro Ferreira Bisneto
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - André Sachett
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Valéria Mourão de Moura
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais da Amazônia, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Iran Mendonça da Silva
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Gisely Cardoso de Melo
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | | | - Marcus Lacerda
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Vanderson Sampaio
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil
| | | | - Jacqueline de Almeida Gonçalves Sachett
- Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil; Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Alfredo da Matta, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Wuelton M Monteiro
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil; Escola Superior de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil.
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15
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Gómez-Ramírez IV, Riaño-Umbarila L, Olamendi-Portugal T, Restano-Cassulini R, Possani LD, Becerril B. Biochemical, electrophysiological and immunological characterization of the venom from Centruroides baergi, a new scorpion species of medical importance in Mexico. Toxicon 2020; 184:10-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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16
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Borges A, Lomonte B, Angulo Y, Acosta de Patiño H, Pascale JM, Otero R, Miranda RJ, De Sousa L, Graham MR, Gómez A, Pardal PP, Ishikawa E, Bonilla F, Castillo A, de Avila RAM, Gómez JP, Caro-López JA. Venom diversity in the Neotropical scorpion genus Tityus: Implications for antivenom design emerging from molecular and immunochemical analyses across endemic areas of scorpionism. Acta Trop 2020; 204:105346. [PMID: 31982434 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Scorpions of the Neotropical genus Tityus are responsible for most severe envenomations in the Caribbean, South America, and Lower Central America (LCA). Although Tityus is taxonomically complex, contains high toxin polymorphism, and produces variable clinical manifestations, treatment is limited to antivenoms produced against species with restricted distributions. In this study, we explored the compositional and antigenic diversity of Tityus venoms to provide improved guidelines for the use of available antivenoms at a broader geographic scale. We used immunoblotting, competitive ELISA, and in vivo studies to compare reactivity against commercial antivenoms from Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico, as well as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, cDNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses to assess venom sodium channel-active toxin (NaTx) content from medically important Tityus populations inhabiting Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Additionally, we raised rabbit antibodies against Tityus venoms from LCA to test for cross-reactivity with congeneric species. The results suggest that Tityus spp. possess high venom antigenic diversity, underlying the existence of four toxinological regions in Tropical America, based on venom composition and immunochemical criteria: LCA/Colombia/Amazonia (Region I), Venezuela (Region II), southeast South America (Region III), and a fourth region encompassing species related to toxinologically divergent Tityus cerroazul. Importantly, our molecular and cross-reactivity results highlight the need for new antivenoms against species inhabiting Region I, where scorpions may produce venoms that are not significantly reactive against available antivenoms.
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17
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Valdez-Velázquez LL, Cid-Uribe J, Romero-Gutierrez MT, Olamendi-Portugal T, Jimenez-Vargas JM, Possani LD. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of the venom and venom glands of Centruroides hirsutipalpus, a dangerous scorpion from Mexico. Toxicon 2020; 179:21-32. [PMID: 32126222 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Centruroides hirsutipalpus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) is related to the "striped scorpion" group inhabiting the western Pacific region of Mexico. Human accidents caused by this species are medically important due to the great number of people stung and the severity of the resulting intoxication. This communication reports an extensive venom characterization using high-throughput proteomic and Illumina transcriptomic sequencing performed with RNA purified from its venom glands. 2,553,529 reads were assembled into 44,579 transcripts. From these transcripts, 23,880 were successfully annoted using Trinotate. Using specialized databases and by performing bioinformatic searches, it was possible to identify 147 putative venom protein transcripts. These include α- and β-type sodium channel toxins (NaScTx), potassium channel toxins (KScTx) (α-, β-, δ-, γ- and λ-types), enzymes (metalloproteases, hyaluronidases, phospholipases, serine proteases, and monooxygenases), protease inhibitors, host defense peptides (HDPs) such as defensins, non-disulfide bridge peptides (NDBPs), anionic peptides, superfamily CAP proteins, insulin growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs), orphan peptides, and other venom components (La1 peptides). De novo tandem mass spectrometric sequencing of digested venom identificatied 50 peptides. The venom of C. hirsutipalpus contains the highest reported number (77) of transcripts encoding NaScTxs, which are the components responsible for human fatalities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jimena Cid-Uribe
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
| | - María Teresa Romero-Gutierrez
- Departamento de Ciencias Computacionales, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Universidad de Guadalajara, Boulevard Marcelino García Barragán 1421, Guadalajara, Jalisco, 44430, Mexico
| | - Timoteo Olamendi-Portugal
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
| | | | - Lourival D Possani
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico.
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18
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Cid-Uribe JI, Veytia-Bucheli JI, Romero-Gutierrez T, Ortiz E, Possani LD. Scorpion venomics: a 2019 overview. Expert Rev Proteomics 2019; 17:67-83. [DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2020.1705158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jimena I. Cid-Uribe
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - José Ignacio Veytia-Bucheli
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Teresa Romero-Gutierrez
- Departamento de Ciencias Computacionales, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Ernesto Ortiz
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Lourival D. Possani
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
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19
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Monteiro WM, Gomes J, Fé N, Mendonça da Silva I, Lacerda M, Alencar A, Seabra de Farias A, Val F, de Souza Sampaio V, Cardoso de Melo G, Pardal P, Mota da Silva A, Bernarde PS, Carlos de Lima Ferreira L, Gutierrez JM, de Almeida Gonçalves Sachett J, Fan HW. Perspectives and recommendations towards evidence-based health care for scorpion sting envenoming in the Brazilian Amazon: A comprehensive review. Toxicon 2019; 169:68-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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20
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Rincón-Cortés CA, Olamendi-Portugal T, Carcamo-Noriega EN, Santillán EG, Zuñiga FZ, Reyes-Montaño EA, Vega Castro NA, Possani LD. Structural and functional characterization of toxic peptides purified from the venom of the Colombian scorpion Tityus macrochirus. Toxicon 2019; 169:5-11. [PMID: 31402191 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The soluble venom of the scorpion Tityus macrochirus was separated by chromatographic procedures and three homogeneous peptides were obtained and their primary structures were determined. They were called: Tma1-Tma3, from the abbreviated name of the scorpion. Tma1 is a peptide containing 65 amino acids with four disulfide linkages and a molecular weight of 7386.2 Da. It is a mammalian toxin, shown to affect human sodium-channels sub-types hNav1.6 and hNav1.4. Tma2 and Tma3 are peptides containing 69 amino acids linked by four disulfide bonds, molecular weights 7819.7 and 7830.0 Da, respectively. They do not affect human sodium-channels but are lethal to insects (crickets). A phylogenic analysis of the three peptides and those of other toxic peptides isolated from the genus Tityus and Centruroides were grouped together and analyzed, permitting to obtain a topology with two main clades, one includes most sodium-channel anti-insect scorpion toxins and others includes mostly sodium-channel scorpion toxins anti-mammalian. Tma1 segregates among a group of well-studied β-class toxins of other Tityus species such as T. discrepans, T. obscurus and T. pachyurus. Tma2 and Tma3 are associated with anti-insect toxins, particularly with one of T. obscurus. This phylogenetic analysis confirms and enforces our experimental results obtained with these three new sodium-channel scorpion toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Andrea Rincón-Cortés
- Grupo de Investigación en Proteínas, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia; Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales, U.D.C.A., Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Timoteo Olamendi-Portugal
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
| | - Edson Norberto Carcamo-Noriega
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
| | - Edmundo González Santillán
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
| | - Fernando Zamudio Zuñiga
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
| | - Edgar Antonio Reyes-Montaño
- Grupo de Investigación en Proteínas, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Nohora Angélica Vega Castro
- Grupo de Investigación en Proteínas, Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Lourival Domingos Possani
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad, 2001, Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico.
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The diversity of venom components of the scorpion species Paravaejovis schwenkmeyeri (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) revealed by transcriptome and proteome analyses. Toxicon 2018; 151:47-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.06.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Ward MJ, Ellsworth SA, Nystrom GS. A global accounting of medically significant scorpions: Epidemiology, major toxins, and comparative resources in harmless counterparts. Toxicon 2018; 151:137-155. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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