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Guo Y, Zhu W, Yuan P, Huang X, Lu S, Cao Z, Zhao X, Wu Y. Similar neurotoxin expression profiles of traditional Chinese scorpion medicine material between juvenile and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions revealed by multiple strategic proteomics. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 332:118338. [PMID: 38759762 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The Mesobuthus martensii scorpions, called as "Quanxie", are known Chinese medicinal material base on the "Combat poison with poison" strategy for more than one thousand years, and still widely used to treat various diseases according to the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China nowadays. AIM OF STUDY The study aims to investigate the similarity of scorpion neurotoxins at the protein level between the juvenile and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions as Chinese medicine materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS The second-, third- and fourth-instar, and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions were collected for the characterization of neurotoxin expression through multiple strategic proteomics, including undigested scorpion venom, endopeptidase-digested, and undigested scorpion telson extract for the sample analysis. RESULTS Based on the known 107 scorpion neurotoxins from the genomic and transcriptomic analysis of adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions, the multiple strategic proteomics first revealed that neurotoxins exhibited more stability in telson extract than secreted venom. In the reported transcripts of scorpion neurotoxins, approximately 53%, 56%, 66% and 78% of neurotoxins were detected through undigested scorpion venom, the endopeptidase Arg-C-, Lys-C-digested telson extract, and undigested telson extract strategies, respectively. Nearly 79% of scorpion neurotoxins detected in third-instar Mesobuthus martensii scorpions represent the largest number of scorpion neurotoxins from proteomic analysis to date. Moreover, a total of 84% of scorpion neurotoxins were successfully identified at the protein level, and similar neurotoxin expression profiles in second-, third- and fourth-instar, and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions were first revealed by the multiple strategic proteomics. CONCLUSION These findings for the first time demonstrate the similar neurotoxin expression profiles between the juvenile and adult Mesobuthus martensii scorpions as Chinese medicinal material, which would serve as a paradigm for further toxin analysis from different venomous animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyuan Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Wenzhuo Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Peixin Yuan
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xin Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Sijia Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zhijian Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xiaolu Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | - Yingliang Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
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Xia Z, He D, Wu Y, Kwok HF, Cao Z. Scorpion venom peptides: Molecular diversity, structural characteristics, and therapeutic use from channelopathies to viral infections and cancers. Pharmacol Res 2023; 197:106978. [PMID: 37923027 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Animal venom is an important evolutionary innovation in nature. As one of the most representative animal venoms, scorpion venom contains an extremely diverse set of bioactive peptides. Scorpion venom peptides not only are 'poisons' that immobilize, paralyze, kill, or dissolve preys but also become important candidates for drug development and design. Here, the review focuses on the molecular diversity of scorpion venom peptides, their typical structural characteristics, and their multiple therapeutic or pharmaceutical applications in channelopathies, viral infections and cancers. Especially, the group of scorpion toxin TRPTx targeting transient receptor potential (TRP) channels is systematically summarized and worthy of attention because TRP channels play a crucial role in the regulation of homeostasis and the occurrence of diseases in human. We also further establish the potential relationship between the molecular characteristics and functional applications of scorpion venom peptides to provide a research basis for modern drug development and clinical utilization of scorpion venom resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Xia
- School of Biological and Food Processing Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, China
| | - Dangui He
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao
| | - Yingliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hang Fai Kwok
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao; MoE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Avenida de Universidade, Taipa, Macao.
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Bio-drug Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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Han T, Wang M, Li W, An M, Fu H. Bmk9 and Uricase Nanoparticle Complex for the Treatment of Gouty Arthritis and Uric Acid Nephropathy. J Biomed Nanotechnol 2021; 17:2071-2084. [PMID: 34706807 DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2021.3168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Uric acid is the final product of purine metabolism, and excessive serum uric acid can cause gouty arthritis and uric acid nephropathy. Therefore, lowering the uric acid level and alleviating inflammation in the body are the key points to treating these diseases. A stable nanosuspension of peptide BmK9 was prepared by the precipitation-ultrasonication method. By combining uricase on the surface of a positively charged carrier, a complex consisting of neutral rod-shaped BmK9 and uricase nanoparticles (Nplex) was formed to achieve the delivery of BmK9 and uricase, respectively. The formulation of Nplex has a diameter of 180 nm and drug loading up to 200%, which releases BmK9 and uricase slowly and steadily in drug release tests in vitro. There was significantly improved pharmacokinetic behavior of the two drugs because Nplex prolonged the half-life and increased tissue accumulation. Histological assessments showed that the dual drug Nplex can reduce the inflammation response in acute gouty arthritis and chronic uric acid nephropathy in vivo. In the macrophage system, there was lower toxicity and increased beneficial effect on inflammation with Nplex than free BmK9 or uricase. Collectively, this novel formulation provides a dual drug delivery system that can treat gouty arthritis and uric acid nephropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianjiao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Meiying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Wenchao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Mingxing An
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hongzheng Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
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Sex-Biased Gene Expression of Mesobuthus martensii Collected from Gansu Province, China, Reveals Their Different Therapeutic Potentials. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2021; 2021:1967158. [PMID: 34462639 PMCID: PMC8403048 DOI: 10.1155/2021/1967158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The scorpions, named Mesobuthus martensii, commonly called Quanxie (全蝎) in Chinese, have been widely used as one of the animal medicines for more than 1,000 years because of the strong toxicity of their venoms. Meanwhile, scorpions are sexually dimorphic in appearance, and many exhibit traits associated with sex-biased gene expression, including maternal care, mating competition, female mating choices, ecology, and even venom composition and lethality. This study aims to explore the differences in composition of the venom of scorpions of different sex using the method of transcriptomics. Whole de novo transcriptomes were performed on the samples of M. martensii captured from Gansu Province to identify their sex-biased gene expression. The conserved CO-1 sequences of the captured samples matched that of M. martensii. A total of 8,444 (35.15%), 7,636 (31.78%), 8,510 (35.42%), 7,840 (32.63%), 9,980 (41.54%), and 11,829 (49.23%) unigenes were annotated with GO, KEGG, Pfam, Swissprot, eggNOG, and NR databases. Moreover, a total of 43 metalloproteases, 40 potassium channel toxins, 24 phospholipases, 12 defensins, 10 peroxiredoxins, 9 cysteine proteinase inhibitors, 7 serine protease inhibitors, 6 sodium channel toxins, 2 NDBPs, 1 calcium channel toxin, 1 waprin-like peptide, 1 antibacterial peptide, 1 antimicrobial peptide, and 1 anticoagulant peptide were screened out. With the fold change of 2 and 0.5, p value < 0.01, and q value < 0.05 as thresholds, a total of 41 out of 157 (26.11%) toxin-related unigenes had significant differential expression, and this ratio was much higher than the ratio of differentially expressed unigenes out of all annotated ones (8.84%). Of these differentially expressed toxins, 28 were upregulated and occupied the majority, up to 68.30%. The female scorpions showed more upregulated unigenes that annotated with toxins and had the potential to be used as more effective therapeutic drugs. In addition, this method of omics can be further used as a useful way to identify the difference between female and male toxic animals.
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Li S, Ri U, Qin C, Guo Y, Ri C, Li W, Cao Z, Wu Y. The rapid development of the first instar telson with venom secretion highlights the remarkable survival ability of scorpions. Toxicon 2021; 200:198-202. [PMID: 34390711 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The scorpion venom system plays a critical role in capturing prey and defending against predators. In this study, the rapid developmental process of the first instar telson was first presented. The small amount of venom in the first instar could be stored well by the distorted and blocked venom ducts, which disappeared in the older scorpions. This special developmental process of the first instar telson revealed the notable survival ability of scorpions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songryong Li
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China; Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Science, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education, Pyongyang, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
| | - Unchol Ri
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Science, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education, Pyongyang, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
| | - Chenhu Qin
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yiyuan Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Changho Ri
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China; Faculty of Life Science, Kim Il Sung University, Pyongyang, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
| | - Wenxin Li
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zhijian Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China; Center for BioDrug Research, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yingliang Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China; Center for BioDrug Research, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
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Mahnam K, Lotfi M, Shapoorabadi FA. Examining the interactions scorpion venom peptides (HP1090, Meucin-13, and Meucin-18) with the receptor binding domain of the coronavirus spike protein to design a mutated therapeutic peptide. J Mol Graph Model 2021; 107:107952. [PMID: 34119951 PMCID: PMC8174010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2021.107952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2) interacts with the ACE2 receptor in human cells and starts the infection of COVID-19 disease. Given the importance of spike protein's interaction with ACE2 receptor, we selected some antiviral peptides of venom scorpion such as HP1090, meucin-13, and meucin-18 and performed docking and molecular docking analysis of them with the RBD domain of spike protein. The results showed that meucin-18 (FFGHLFKLATKIIPSLFQ) had better interaction with the RBD domain of spike protein than other peptides. We also designed some mutations in meucin-18 and investigated their interactions with the RBD domain. The results revealed that the A9T mutation had more effective interaction with the RBD domain than the meucin-18 and was able to inhibit spike protein's interaction with ACE2 receptor. Hence, peptide “FFGHLFKLTTKIIPSLFQ” can be considered as the potential drug for the treatment of COVID-19 disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Mahnam
- Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran; Nanotechnology Research Center, Shahrekord University, 8818634141, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Maryam Lotfi
- Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Payame Noor University, Esfahan, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Ahmadi Shapoorabadi
- Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Shahid Ashrafi Esfahani University, Esfahan, Iran
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Zhao Z, Zhang K, Zhu W, Ye X, Ding L, Jiang H, Li F, Chen Z, Luo X. Two new cationic α-helical peptides identified from the venom gland of Liocheles australasiae possess antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant staphylococci. Toxicon 2021; 196:63-73. [PMID: 33836178 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant staphylococci have become growing threats to human health, and novel antimicrobials are urgently needed. Natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Here, two novel cationic α-helical antimicrobial peptides, Lausporin-1 and Lausporin-2, were identified from the venom gland of the scorpion L. australasiae through a cDNA library screening strategy. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that Lausporin-1 and Lausporin-2 are cationic α-helical amphipathic molecules. Antimicrobial assays demonstrated that the two peptides possess antibacterial activities against several species of antibiotic-resistant staphylococci. Importantly, they are active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus capitis, with the minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 10 μg/ml. Moreover, both peptides can induce dose-dependent plasma membrane disruptions of the bacteria. In short, our work expands the knowledge of the scorpion L. australasiae venom-derived AMPs and sheds light on the potential of Lausporin-1 and Lausporin-2 in the development of novel drugs against methicillin-resistant staphylococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwen Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Kaiyue Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Wen Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Xiangdong Ye
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Li Ding
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dongfeng Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Huiwen Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Fangyan Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Zongyun Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
| | - Xudong Luo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China.
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Soltan-Alinejad P, Rafinejad J, Dabiri F, Onorati P, Terenius O, Chavshin AR. Molecular analysis of the mitochondrial markers COI, 12S rDNA and 16S rDNA for six species of Iranian scorpions. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:40. [PMID: 33526064 PMCID: PMC7851938 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05449-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Annually, 1.2 million humans are stung by scorpions and severely affected by their venom. Some of the scorpion species of medical importance have a similar morphology to species with low toxicity. To establish diagnostic tools for surveying scorpions, the current study was conducted to generate three mitochondrial markers, Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI gene), 12S rDNA and 16S rDNA for six species of medically important Iranian scorpions: Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta saulcyi, Mesobuthus caucasicus, M. eupeus, Odontobuthus doriae, and Scorpio maurus. Results Phylogenetic analyses of the obtained sequences corroborated the morphological identification. For the first time, 12S rDNA sequences are reported from Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta saulcyi, Mesobuthus caucasicus and M. eupeus and also the 16S rDNA sequence from Hottentotta saulcyi. We conclude that the mitochondrial markers are useful for species determination among these medically important species of scorpions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Soltan-Alinejad
- Social Determinants of Health, Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.,Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Javad Rafinejad
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farrokh Dabiri
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Piero Onorati
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olle Terenius
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ali Reza Chavshin
- Social Determinants of Health, Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran. .,Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
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Gao S, Liang H, Shou Z, Yao Y, Lv Y, Shang J, Lu W, Jia C, Liu Q, Zhang H, Xiao L. De novo transcriptomic and proteomic analysis and potential toxin screening of Mesobuthus martensii samples from four different provinces. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 265:113268. [PMID: 32810618 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE As well-known medicinal materials in traditional Chinese medicine, scorpions, commonly called as Quanxie () in Chinese, have been widely used to treat several diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, apoplexy, epilepsy and chronic pain for more than a thousand years. Not only in the ancient times, the scorpions have also been recorded nowadays in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China since 1963. AIM OF STUDY This study aims to explore the differences in composition of the venom of scorpions from different regions by using the method of transcriptomics and proteomics. MATERIALS AND METHODS Whole de novo transcriptomes, proteomics and their bioinformatic analyses were performed on samples of the scorpion Mesobuthus martensii and their venoms from four different provinces with clear geographical boundaries, including Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Shanxi. RESULTS The four captured samples had the same morphology, and the conserved CO-1 sequence matched that of M. martensii. A total of 141,003 of 174,653 transcripts were identified as unigenes, of which we successfully annotated 51,627 (36.61%), 21,970 (15.58%), 7,168 (5.08%), and 45,263 (32.10%) unigenes with the NR, GO, KEGG and SWISSPROT databases, respectively, while a total of 427 proteins were collected from the protein extracted from venoms. Both GO and KEGG annotations exhibited only slight differences among the four samples while the expression level of gene and protein was quite different. A total of 249 toxin-related unigenes were successfully screened, including 41 serine proteases and serine protease inhibitors, 39 potassium channel toxins, 38 phospholipases, 16 host defense peptides, 9 metalloproteases, and 50 other toxins. Although the toxin species were similar among the four samples, the gene expression of each toxin varied considerably, for example, the scorpion from HB province has the most abundant expression quality in sequences c48391_g1, c55239_g1 and c47749_g1 while the lowest expressions of c51178_g1, c62033_g3 and c63754_g2. CONCLUSION The regional differences in the transcriptomes and proteomes of M. martensii are mainly from expression levels e.g. toxins rather than expression species, of which the method can be further extended to evaluate the qualities of traditional Chinese medicines obtained from different regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songyu Gao
- Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Hongyu Liang
- Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, China; College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China.
| | - Zhaoyong Shou
- Faculty of Health Service, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Yuzhe Yao
- School of Nursing, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Yang Lv
- Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Jing Shang
- School of Nursing, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Wei Lu
- 905th Hospital of PLA Navy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200052, China.
| | - Changliang Jia
- Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Qing Liu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, ShanXi Agricultural University, ShanXi, TaiGu, 030801, China.
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- Department of Health Care, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Liang Xiao
- Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai, 200433, China.
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Zhu W, Gao H, Luo X, Ye X, Ding L, Hao J, Shu Z, Li S, Li J, Chen Z. Cloning and identification of a new multifunctional Ascaris-type peptide from the hemolymph of Buthus martensii Karsch. Toxicon 2020; 184:167-174. [PMID: 32565098 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Only a few work have been done for peptides from non-venom gland tissues of venomous animals. Here, with the help of the whole body transcriptomic and the hemolymph proteomic data of the Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch, we identified the first Ascaris-type peptide BmHDP from scorpion hemolymph. The precursor of BmHDP has 80 residues, including a 16 residue signal peptide and a 64 residue mature peptide. The mature peptide has 10 conserved cysteines and adopts a conserved Ascaris-type fold. Using combined inclusion body refolding and biochemical identification strategies, recombinant BmHDP was obtained successfully. Protease inhibitory assays showed that BmHDP inhibited chymotrypsin apparently at a concentration of 8 nM. Patch-clamp experiments showed that BmHDP inhibited the Kv1.3 potassium channel apparently at a concentration of 1000 nM. Coagulation experiment assays showed that BmHDP inhibited intrinsic coagulation pathway apparently at a concentration of 500 nM. To the best of our knowledge, BmHDP is the first Ascaris-type peptide from scorpion hemolymph. Our work highlighted a functional link between scorpion non-venom gland peptides and venom gland toxin peptides, and suggested that scorpion hemolymph might be a new source of bioactive peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Huanhuan Gao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Xudong Luo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China; Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Xiangdong Ye
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China; Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Li Ding
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dongfeng Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China; Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Jinbo Hao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shiyan Occupational Disease Hospital, Hubei, China
| | - Zhan Shu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Human Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Zongyun Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China; Institute of Biomedicine and Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China.
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11
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Ureta C, González EJ, Ramírez-Barrón M, Contreras-Félix GA, Santibáñez-López CE. Climate change will have an important impact on scorpion’s fauna in its most diverse country, Mexico. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2020.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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12
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Cytotoxic Effects of Smp24 and Smp43 Scorpion Venom Antimicrobial Peptides on Tumour and Non-tumour Cell Lines. Int J Pept Res Ther 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-019-09932-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Smp24 and Smp43 are novel cationic AMPs identified from the venom of the Egyptian scorpion Scorpio maurus palmatus, having potent activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi. Here we describe cytotoxicity of these peptides towards three non-tumour cell lines (CD34+ (hematopoietic stem progenitor from cord blood), HRECs (human renal epithelial cells) and HACAT (human skin keratinocytes) and two acute leukaemia cell lines (myeloid (KG1a) and lymphoid (CCRF-CEM) leukaemia cell lines) using a combination of biochemical and imaging techniques. Smp24 and Smp43 (4–256 µg/mL) decreased the cell viability (as measured by intracellular ATP) of all cells tested, although keratinocytes were markedly less sensitive. Cell membrane leakage as evidenced by the release of lactate dehydrogenase was evident throughout and was confirmed by scanning electron microscope studies.
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13
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Kazemi SM, Sabatier JM. Venoms of Iranian Scorpions (Arachnida, Scorpiones) and Their Potential for Drug Discovery. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24142670. [PMID: 31340554 PMCID: PMC6680535 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24142670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Scorpions, a characteristic group of arthropods, are among the earliest diverging arachnids, dating back almost 440 million years. One of the many interesting aspects of scorpions is that they have venom arsenals for capturing prey and defending against predators, which may play a critical role in their evolutionary success. Unfortunately, however, scorpion envenomation represents a serious health problem in several countries, including Iran. Iran is acknowledged as an area with a high richness of scorpion species and families. The diversity of the scorpion fauna in Iran is the subject of this review, in which we report a total of 78 species and subspecies in 19 genera and four families. We also list some of the toxins or genes studied from five species, including Androctonus crassicauda, Hottentotta zagrosensis, Mesobuthus phillipsi, Odontobuthus doriae, and Hemiscorpius lepturus, in the Buthidae and Hemiscorpiidae families. Lastly, we review the diverse functions of typical toxins from the Iranian scorpion species, including their medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mahdi Kazemi
- Zagros Herpetological Institute, No 12, Somayyeh 14 Avenue, 3715688415 Qom, Iran.
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Institute of NeuroPhysiopathology, UMR 7051, Faculté de Médecine Secteur Nord, 51, Boulevard Pierre Dramard-CS80011, 13344-Marseille Cedex 15, France
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14
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Tobassum S, Tahir HM, Arshad M, Zahid MT, Ali S, Ahsan MM. Nature and applications of scorpion venom: an overview. TOXIN REV 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/15569543.2018.1530681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saadia Tobassum
- Department of Zoology, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Arshad
- Department of Zoology, University of Education Lower Mall Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Shaukat Ali
- Department of Zoology, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
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15
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Romero-Gutierrez T, Peguero-Sanchez E, Cevallos MA, Batista CVF, Ortiz E, Possani LD. A Deeper Examination of Thorellius atrox Scorpion Venom Components with Omic Techonologies. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:E399. [PMID: 29231872 PMCID: PMC5744119 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9120399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This communication reports a further examination of venom gland transcripts and venom composition of the Mexican scorpion Thorellius atrox using RNA-seq and tandem mass spectrometry. The RNA-seq, which was performed with the Illumina protocol, yielded more than 20,000 assembled transcripts. Following a database search and annotation strategy, 160 transcripts were identified, potentially coding for venom components. A novel sequence was identified that potentially codes for a peptide with similarity to spider ω-agatoxins, which act on voltage-gated calcium channels, not known before to exist in scorpion venoms. Analogous transcripts were found in other scorpion species. They could represent members of a new scorpion toxin family, here named omegascorpins. The mass fingerprint by LC-MS identified 135 individual venom components, five of which matched with the theoretical masses of putative peptides translated from the transcriptome. The LC-MS/MS de novo sequencing allowed to reconstruct and identify 42 proteins encoded by assembled transcripts, thus validating the transcriptome analysis. Earlier studies conducted with this scorpion venom permitted the identification of only twenty putative venom components. The present work performed with more powerful and modern omic technologies demonstrates the capacity of accomplishing a deeper characterization of scorpion venom components and the identification of novel molecules with potential applications in biomedicine and the study of ion channel physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Romero-Gutierrez
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca CP: 62210, Morelos, Mexico.
| | - Esteban Peguero-Sanchez
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca CP: 62210, Morelos, Mexico.
| | - Miguel A Cevallos
- Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca CP: 62210, Morelos, Mexico.
| | - Cesar V F Batista
- Laboratorio Universitario de Proteómica, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca CP: 62210, Morelos, Mexico.
| | - Ernesto Ortiz
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca CP: 62210, Morelos, Mexico.
| | - Lourival D Possani
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Apartado Postal 510-3, Cuernavaca CP: 62210, Morelos, Mexico.
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16
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Jimenez R, Ikonomopoulou MP, Lopez JA, Miles JJ. Immune drug discovery from venoms. Toxicon 2017; 141:18-24. [PMID: 29170055 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
This review catalogues recent advances in knowledge on venoms as standalone therapeutic agents or as blueprints for drug design, with an emphasis on venom-derived compounds that affects the immune system. We discuss venoms and venom-derived compounds that affect total immune cell numbers, immune cell proliferation, immune cell migration, immune cell phenotype and cytokine secretion. Identifying novel compounds that 'tune' the system, up-regulating the immune response during infectious disease and cancer and down-regulating the immune response during autoimmunity, will greatly expand the tool kit of human immunotherapeutics. Targeting these pathways may also open therapeutic options that alleviate symptoms of envenomation. Finally, combining recent advances in venomics with progress in low cost, high-throughput screening platforms will no doubt yield hundreds of prototype immune modulating compounds in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocio Jimenez
- Griffith University, School of Natural Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Maria P Ikonomopoulou
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (IMDEA) in Food, CEI UAM+CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Alejandro Lopez
- Griffith University, School of Natural Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - John J Miles
- Griffith University, School of Natural Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, AITHM, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia; Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
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17
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Wu W, Li Z, Ma Y. Adaptive evolution of insect selective excitatory β-type sodium channel neurotoxins from scorpion venom. Peptides 2017; 92:31-37. [PMID: 28363794 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2017.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Insect selective excitatory β-type sodium channel neurotoxins from scorpion venom (β-NaScTxs) are composed of about 70-76 amino acid residues and share a common scaffold stabilized by four unique disulfide bonds. The phylogenetic analysis of these toxins was hindered by limited sequence data. In our recent study, two new insect selective excitatory β-NaScTxs, LmIT and ImIT, were isolated from Lychas mucronatus and Isometrus maculatus, respectively. With the sequences previously reported, we examined the adaptive molecular evolution of insect selective excitatory β-NaScTxs by estimating the nonsynonymous-to-synonymous rate ratio (ω=dN/dS). The results revealed 12 positively selected sites in the genes of insect selective excitatory β-NaScTxs. Moreover, these positively selected sites match well with the sites important for interacting with sodium channels, as demonstrated in previous mutagenesis study. These results reveal that adaptive evolution after gene duplication is one of the most important genetic mechanisms of scorpion neurotoxin diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlan Wu
- Medical School, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, PR China.
| | - Zhongjie Li
- Medical School, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, PR China
| | - Yibao Ma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
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18
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Wang X, Wang G. Insights into Antimicrobial Peptides from Spiders and Scorpions. Protein Pept Lett 2017; 23:707-21. [PMID: 27165405 DOI: 10.2174/0929866523666160511151320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The venoms of spiders and scorpions contain a variety of chemical compounds. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from these organisms were first discovered in the 1990s. As of May 2015, there were 42 spider's and 63 scorpion's AMPs in the Antimicrobial Peptide Database (http://aps.unmc.edu/AP). These peptides have demonstrated broad or narrow-spectrum activities against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. In addition, they can be toxic to cancer cells, insects and erythrocytes. To provide insight into such an activity spectrum, this article discusses the discovery, classification, structure and activity relationships, bioinformatics analysis, and potential applications of spider and scorpion AMPs. Our analysis reveals that, in the case of linear peptides, spiders use both glycine-rich and helical peptide models for defense, whereas scorpions use two distinct helical peptide models with different amino acid compositions to exert the observed antimicrobial activities and hemolytic toxicity. Our structural bioinformatics study improves the knowledge in the field and can be used to design more selective peptides to combat tumors, parasites, and viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guangshun Wang
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986495 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6495, USA.
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19
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He Y, Zou X, Li X, Chen J, Jin L, Zhang F, Yu B, Cao Z. Activation of sodium channels by α-scorpion toxin, BmK NT1, produced neurotoxicity in cerebellar granule cells: an association with intracellular Ca 2+ overloading. Arch Toxicol 2016; 91:935-948. [PMID: 27318804 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-016-1755-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are responsible for the action potential generation in excitable cells including neurons and involved in many physiological and pathological processes. Scorpion toxins are invaluable tools to explore the structure and function of ion channels. BmK NT1, a scorpion toxin from Buthus martensii Karsch, stimulates sodium influx in cerebellar granule cells (CGCs). In this study, we characterized the mode of action of BmK NT1 on the VGSCs and explored the cellular response in CGC cultures. BmK NT1 delayed the fast inactivation of VGSCs, increased the Na+ currents, and shifted the steady-state activation and inactivation to more hyperpolarized membrane potential, which was similar to the mode of action of α-scorpion toxins. BmK NT1 stimulated neuron death (EC50 = 0.68 µM) and produced massive intracellular Ca2+ overloading (EC50 = 0.98 µM). TTX abrogated these responses, suggesting that both responses were subsequent to the activation of VGSCs. The Ca2+ response of BmK NT1 was primary through extracellular Ca2+ influx since reducing the extracellular Ca2+ concentration suppressed the Ca2+ response. Further pharmacological evaluation demonstrated that BmK NT1-induced Ca2+ influx and neurotoxicity were partially blocked either by MK-801, an NMDA receptor blocker, or by KB-R7943, an inhibitor of Na+/Ca2+ exchangers. Nifedipine, an L-type Ca2+ channel inhibitor, slightly suppressed both Ca2+ response and neurotoxicity. A combination of these three inhibitors abrogated both responses. Considered together, these data ambiguously demonstrated that activation of VGSCs by an α-scorpion toxin was sufficient to produce neurotoxicity which was associated with intracellular Ca2+ overloading through both NMDA receptor- and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger-mediated Ca2+ influx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei He
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Development, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohan Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Development, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xichun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Development, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Development, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,School of Biological Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. .,Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Development, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Boyang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Development, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengyu Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. .,Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Development, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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20
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Ye F, Hu Y, Yu W, Xie Z, Hu J, Cao Z, Li W, Wu Y. The Scorpion Toxin Analogue BmKTX-D33H as a Potential Kv1.3 Channel-Selective Immunomodulator for Autoimmune Diseases. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:115. [PMID: 27104568 PMCID: PMC4848641 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8040115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The Kv1.3 channel-acting scorpion toxins usually adopt the conserved anti-parallel β-sheet domain as the binding interface, but it remains challenging to discover some highly selective Kv1.3 channel-acting toxins. In this work, we investigated the pharmacological profile of the Kv1.3 channel-acting BmKTX-D33H, a structural analogue of the BmKTX scorpion toxin. Interestingly, BmKTX-D33H, with its conserved anti-parallel β-sheet domain as a Kv1.3 channel-interacting interface, exhibited more than 1000-fold selectivity towards the Kv1.3 channel as compared to other K+ channels (including Kv1.1, Kv1.2, Kv1.7, Kv11.1, KCa2.2, KCa2.3, and KCa3.1). As expected, BmKTX-D33H was found to inhibit the cytokine production and proliferation of both Jurkat cells and human T cells in vitro. It also significantly improved the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses, an autoreactive T cell-mediated inflammation in rats. Amino acid sequence alignment and structural analysis strongly suggest that the “evolutionary” Gly11 residue of BmKTX-D33H interacts with the turret domain of Kv1 channels; it appears to be a pivotal amino acid residue with regard to the selectivity of BmKTX-D33H towards the Kv1.3 channel (in comparison with the highly homologous scorpion toxins). Together, our data indicate that BmKTX-D33H is a Kv1.3 channel–specific blocker. Finally, the remarkable selectivity of BmKTX-D33H highlights the great potential of evolutionary-guided peptide drug design in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Youtian Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Weiwei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Zili Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Jun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Zhijian Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Wenxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Yingliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
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21
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Zou X, He Y, Qiao J, Zhang C, Cao Z. The natural scorpion peptide, BmK NT1 activates voltage-gated sodium channels and produces neurotoxicity in primary cultured cerebellar granule cells. Toxicon 2016; 109:33-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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22
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Designer and natural peptide toxin blockers of the KcsA potassium channel identified by phage display. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E7013-21. [PMID: 26627718 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1514728112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide neurotoxins are powerful tools for research, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Limiting broader use, most receptors lack an identified toxin that binds with high affinity and specificity. This paper describes isolation of toxins for one such orphan target, KcsA, a potassium channel that has been fundamental to delineating the structural basis for ion channel function. A phage-display strategy is presented whereby ∼1.5 million novel and natural peptides are fabricated on the scaffold present in ShK, a sea anemone type I (SAK1) toxin stabilized by three disulfide bonds. We describe two toxins selected by sorting on purified KcsA, one novel (Hui1, 34 residues) and one natural (HmK, 35 residues). Hui1 is potent, blocking single KcsA channels in planar lipid bilayers half-maximally (Ki) at 1 nM. Hui1 is also specific, inhibiting KcsA-Shaker channels in Xenopus oocytes with a Ki of 0.5 nM whereas Shaker, Kv1.2, and Kv1.3 channels are blocked over 200-fold less well. HmK is potent but promiscuous, blocking KcsA-Shaker, Shaker, Kv1.2, and Kv1.3 channels with Ki of 1-4 nM. As anticipated, one Hui1 blocks the KcsA pore and two conserved toxin residues, Lys21 and Tyr22, are essential for high-affinity binding. Unexpectedly, potassium ions traversing the channel from the inside confer voltage sensitivity to the Hui1 off-rate via Arg23, indicating that Lys21 is not in the pore. The 3D structure of Hui1 reveals a SAK1 fold, rationalizes KcsA inhibition, and validates the scaffold-based approach for isolation of high-affinity toxins for orphan receptors.
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23
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A new Kunitz-type plasmin inhibitor from scorpion venom. Toxicon 2015; 106:7-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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24
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Chen B, Xu J, Fu Q, Dong X, Guo Z, Jin Y, Liang X. Evaluation of separation properties of a modified strong cation exchange material named MEX and its application in 2D-MEX × C18 system to separate peptides from scorpion venom. Analyst 2015; 140:4676-86. [DOI: 10.1039/c5an00271k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Peptides from scorpion venom represent one of the most promising sources for drug discovery in some specific disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Chen
- School of Pharmacy
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai 200237
- China
| | - Junyan Xu
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Dalian 116023
- China
| | - Qing Fu
- School of Pharmacy
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai 200237
- China
| | - Xuefang Dong
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Dalian 116023
- China
| | - Zhimou Guo
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Dalian 116023
- China
| | - Yu Jin
- School of Pharmacy
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai 200237
- China
| | - Xinmiao Liang
- School of Pharmacy
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Shanghai 200237
- China
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics
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25
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Unusual binding mode of scorpion toxin BmKTX onto potassium channels relies on its distribution of acidic residues. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2014; 447:70-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.03.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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