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Nasr S, Borges A, Sahyoun C, Nasr R, Roufayel R, Legros C, Sabatier JM, Fajloun Z. Scorpion Venom as a Source of Antimicrobial Peptides: Overview of Biomolecule Separation, Analysis and Characterization Methods. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1380. [PMID: 37760677 PMCID: PMC10525675 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12091380] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Scorpion venoms have long captivated scientific researchers, primarily due to the potency and specificity of the mechanism of action of their derived components. Among other molecules, these venoms contain highly active compounds, including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and ion channel-specific components that selectively target biological receptors with remarkable affinity. Some of these receptors have emerged as prime therapeutic targets for addressing various human pathologies, including cancer and infectious diseases, and have served as models for designing novel drugs. Consequently, extensive biochemical and proteomic investigations have focused on characterizing scorpion venoms. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the key methodologies used in the extraction, purification, analysis, and characterization of AMPs and other bioactive molecules present in scorpion venoms. Noteworthy techniques such as gel electrophoresis, reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, size exclusion chromatography, and "omics" approaches are explored, along with various combinations of methods that enable bioassay-guided venom fractionation. Furthermore, this review presents four adapted proteomic workflows that lead to the comprehensive dissection of the scorpion venom proteome, with an emphasis on AMPs. These workflows differ based on whether the venom is pre-fractionated using separation techniques or is proteolytically digested directly before further proteomic analyses. Since the composition and functionality of scorpion venoms are species-specific, the selection and sequence of the techniques for venom analyses, including these workflows, should be tailored to the specific parameters of the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Nasr
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology (LBA3B), Azm Center for Research in Biotechnology and Its Applications, EDST, Lebanese University, Tripoli 1300, Lebanon; (S.N.); (C.S.)
| | - Adolfo Borges
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de Toxinas y Receptores, Instituto de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas 50587, Venezuela;
- Centro para el Desarrollo de la Investigación Científica, Asunción 1255, Paraguay
| | - Christina Sahyoun
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology (LBA3B), Azm Center for Research in Biotechnology and Its Applications, EDST, Lebanese University, Tripoli 1300, Lebanon; (S.N.); (C.S.)
- Univ Angers, INSERM, CNRS, MITOVASC, Team 2 CarMe, SFR ICAT, 49000 Angers, France
| | - Riad Nasr
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Public Health 3, Lebanese University, Tripoli 1200, Lebanon;
| | - Rabih Roufayel
- College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Egaila 54200, Kuwait;
| | - Christian Legros
- Univ Angers, INSERM, CNRS, MITOVASC, Team 2 CarMe, SFR ICAT, 49000 Angers, France
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, 13385 Marseille, France
| | - Ziad Fajloun
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology (LBA3B), Azm Center for Research in Biotechnology and Its Applications, EDST, Lebanese University, Tripoli 1300, Lebanon; (S.N.); (C.S.)
- Faculty of Sciences 3, Department of Biology, Lebanese University, Campus Michel Slayman Ras Maska, Tripoli 1352, Lebanon
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Ilu A, Chia MA, Cataldi TR, Labate CA, Ebiloma GU, Yusuf PO, Shuaibu MN, Balogun EO. Type-I like metalloproteinase in the venom of the West African saw-scaled carpet viper (Echis ocellatus) has anti-trypanosomal activity against African trypanosomes. Toxicon 2023; 229:107138. [PMID: 37127124 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107138] [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: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
African trypanosomiasis is an infectious disease caused by hemoparasites of the genus Trypanosoma and remains a major health problem in Africa - killing around 4000 people and animals worth an estimated $5 billion, annually. The absence of a vaccine and satisfactory drug against African trypanosomiasis (AT) necessitates the continued search for new chemotherapy options. Owing to the rich biochemical diversity in snake venom, it has recently become a source of therapeutic peptides that are being explored for the development of novel drug candidates for diverse ailments such as cancers and infectious diseases. To explore this, Echis ocellatus venom (EOV) was investigated for the presence of an anti-Trypanosoma factor, with the subsequent aim to isolate and identify it. Crude EOV was collected and tested in vitro on the bloodstream form (BSF) i.e. long and slender morphological form of Trypanosoma brucei and T. congolense. This initial testing was followed by a sequential anti-trypanosomal assay guided purification of EOV using ethanol precipitation, distillation, and ion exchange (IEX) chromatography to obtain the active trypanocidal component. The purified anti-Trypanosoma factor, estimated to be a 52-kDa protein on SDS-PAGE, was subjected to in-gel trypsin digestion and 2D RP HPLC-MS/MS to identify the protein. The anti-Trypanosoma factor was revealed to be a zinc-dependent metalloproteinase that contains the HEXXHXXGXXH adamalysin motif. This protein may provide a conceptual framework for the possible design of a safe and effective anti-trypanosomal peptide for the treatment of AT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameh Ilu
- Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Mathias A Chia
- Department of Botany, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Thais R Cataldi
- Department of Genetics, Laboratório Multiusuários Centralizado de Genômica Funcional Aplicada à Agropecuária e Agroenergia, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Labate
- Department of Genetics, Laboratório Multiusuários Centralizado de Genômica Funcional Aplicada à Agropecuária e Agroenergia, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Godwin U Ebiloma
- School of Health & Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
| | - Peter O Yusuf
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Mohammed N Shuaibu
- Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Centre for Biotechnology Research and Training, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Emmanuel O Balogun
- Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan; Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Saganuwan SA. Determination of median effective dose (ED 50) of scorpion antivenom against scorpion envenomation using a newly developed formula. Animal Model Exp Med 2018; 1:228-234. [PMID: 30891569 PMCID: PMC6388075 DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND About 50 species of scorpions cause fatal scorpionism worldwide. Most of these are members of the Buthidae family, and include, among others, Mesobuthus eupeus, Androctonus crassicauda, Leiurus abdullahbayrami, Leiurus quinquestriatus, Tityus pachyurus and Androctonus australis. Because high doses of scorpion venom and antivenom can cause death and hypersensitive reactions, there is a need to develop a formula that can be used to calculate both lethal and effective doses for scorpion venom and antivenom, respectively, thereby obviating the need for laboratory experiments. METHODS In view of this, a literature search was carried out with the aim of modifying the formula (LD 50 = ED 50 3 × W a × 10 - 4 ) for calculation of the median lethal dose (LD50) of scorpion venom and the ED50 of antivenom. The human equivalent dose (HED) formula was assessed for extrapolation of LD50 and ED50 from animals to human for comparison and relevance with the new formula. RESULTS The findings showed that the newly developed formula (LD50 = ED50 1/3 × W a × 10-4) yielded results that are very close to the reported values. Therefore, the newly developed and HED formulas can be used for calculation of LD50 and ED50 values for scorpion venom and antivenom, respectively. CONCLUSION The new formula yielded better results than the HED formula, confirming its predictive validity, precision, and reliability, thereby obviating the need for rigorous experiments and justifying the principles of reduction, refinement, and replacement (3Rs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Saganuwan Alhaji Saganuwan
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, Pharmacology and BiochemistryCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of AgricultureMakurdiBenue StateNigeria
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Dehghani R, Fathi B. Scorpion sting in Iran: a review. Toxicon 2012; 60:919-33. [PMID: 22750221 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2012.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2011] [Revised: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Among Middle Eastern countries, at least 52 species of scorpions, especially dangerous types, have been reported in Iran. This is more than any other country in the region. In addition, in Iran the recorded scorpion stings from 2001 to 2009 were more than 42,500 per year, of which, approximately 19.5 deaths have been reported each year, mostly in spring and summer. About 10 species are responsible for the reported envenoming which belong to the Buthidae family apart from Hemiscorpius lepturus which is a Hemiscorpiidae. The Buthidae family includes: Androctonus crassicauda, Mesobuthus eupeus, Odontobuthus doriae, Hottentotta saulcyi, Hottentotta schach, Compsobuthus matthiesseni, Orthochirus scrobiculosus, Apistobuthus pterygocercus and Olivierus caucasicus. A. crassicauda and H. lepturus are usually cited as the most dangerous species among Iranian scorpions. This article focuses on the main Iranian scorpions and their geographical distribution, especially those which are medically important and considered to be the more dangerous to human, and also attempts to demonstrate an accurate magnitude of scorpion stings in Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouhullah Dehghani
- Department of Environment Health, Kashan University of Medical sciences, Kashan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
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