Characterization of Leiurus abdullahbayrami (Scorpiones: Buthidae) venom: peptide profile, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity

Abstract

BackgroundScorpion venoms are rich bioactive peptide libraries that offer promising molecules that may lead to the discovery and development of new drugs. Leiurus abdullahbayrami produces one of the most potent venoms among Turkish scorpions that provokes severe symptoms in envenomated victims.MethodsIn the present study, the peptide profile of the venom was investigated by electrophoretic methods, size-exclusion and reversed-phase chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Cytotoxic and antimicrobial effects were evaluated on a breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and various bacterial and fungal species.ResultsProteins make up approximately half of the dry weight of L. abdullahbayrami crude venom. Microfluidic capillary electrophoresis indicated the presence of 6 to 7 kDa peptides and proved to be a highly practical peptidomics tool with better resolution when compared to conventional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Mass spectroscopy analysis helped us to identify 45 unique peptide masses between 1 to 7 kDa with a bimodal mass distribution peaking between molecular weights of 1 to 2 kDa (29%) and 3 to 4 kDa (31%). L. abdullahbayrami crude venom had a proliferative effect on MCF-7 cells, which may be explained by the high concentration of polyamines as well as potassium and calcium ions in the arachnid venoms. Antimicrobial effect was stronger on gram-negative bacteria.ConclusionsThis work represents the first peptidomic characterization of L. abdullahbayrami venom. Considering the molecular weight-function relationship of previously identified venom peptides, future bioactivity studies may lead to the discovery of novel potassium and chloride ion channel inhibitors as well as new antimicrobial peptides from L. abdullahbayrami venom.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1678-9199-20-48) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Mass spectrometry‐based top‐down and bottom‐up approaches for proteomic analysis of the Moroccan Buthus occitanus scorpion venom

“…Top-down data sets showed that the venom of B.occitanus is very complex, counting around 200 molecular weights ranging from 1868 to 16 720 Da. A similar number of components have been revealed by previous studies [32,33,34], others showed fewer components, as well as Leiurus abdullahbayrami (45 masses) and Opisthacanthus elatus (106 masses) [35,36], whereas some others scorpion venoms were more complex, such as the Pandinus cavimanus (390 masses) and…”

“…Additionally, the repartition of molecular weights showed that less than 1% were components with molecular masses <2000 Da, 14% those from 2000 to 5000 Da, 74% those between 5000 to 8000 Da, and 10% were those over than 8000 Da, while the repartition of molecular weights from the French B.occitanus scorpion venom showed an abundance of molecules ranging from 2000 to 3000 Da and those less than 2000 Da [39]. revealed by previous studies [32,33,34], others showed fewer components, as well as Leiurus abdullahbayrami (45 masses) and Opisthacanthus elatus (106 masses) [35,36] whereas some others scorpion venoms were more complex, such as the Pandinus cavimanus (390 masses) and…”

Screening of cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity potential of AnatolianMacrovipera lebetina obtusa(Ophidia: Viperidae) crude venom

“…The venom increased the viability of HeLa cells at lower doses (1.25 and 2.5 μg/ml). This effect can be observed for snake venoms and also scorpion venoms because of proteins, peptides and other organic compounds that may promote cell proliferation at lower concentrations (Mesquita-Ferrari et al 2009;Erdeş et al 2014;Yalcin et al 2014). According to the results, HeLa (IC 50 = 12.80 μg/ml) is the most resistant cell line against all venom doses, while Vero and U-87 MG cell lines seem to be the most sensitive of the tested cell lines.…”

Mesobuthus Venom-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides Possess Intrinsic Multifunctionality and Differential Potential as Drugs

“…Overall, the svAMPs from M. eupeus showed more potent activity on Gram-positive bacteria than on Gram-negative bacteria. This is obviously different from venoms from scorpions Leiurus abdullahbayrami, Parabuthus schlechteri , and Opistophthalmus carinatus , which are more active on Gram-negative bacteria (Moerman et al, 2002 ; Erdeş et al, 2014 ). This difference could be a reflection of ecological adaptation of scorpions to different micobial species in their habitats, strengthening the roles of these peptides in scorpion immunity.…”