Abstract
Background:In the present study, we have tested whether specimens of the medically relevant scorpion Tityus pachyurus, collected from two climatically and ecologically different regions, differ in the biological activities of the venom.Methods:Scorpions were collected in Tolima and Huila, Colombia. Chemical profiles of the crude venom were obtained from 80 scorpions for each region, using SDS-PAGE and RP-HPLC. Assays for phospholipase A2, direct and indirect hemolytic, proteolytic, neuromuscular, antibacterial, and insecticidal activities were carried out.Results:The electrophoretic profiles of venom from the two regions showed similar bands of 6-14 kDa, 36-45 kDa, 65 kDa and 97 kDa. However, bands between 36 kDa and 65 kDa were observed with more intensity in venoms from Tolima, and a 95 kDa band occurred only in venoms from Huila. The chromatographic profile of the venoms showed differences in the intensity of some peaks, which could be associated with changes in the abundance of some components between both populations. Phospholipase A2 and hemolytic activities were not observable, whereas both venoms showed proteolytic activity towards casein. Insecticidal activity of the venoms from both regions showed significant variation in potency, the bactericidal activity was variable and low for both venoms. Moreover, no differences were observed in the neuromuscular activity assay. Conclusion:Our results reveal some variation in the activity of the venom between both populations, which could be explained by the ecological adaptations like differences in feeding, altitude and/or diverse predator exposure. However more in-depth studies are necessary to determine the drivers behind the differences in venom composition and activities.
Highlights
In the present study, we have tested whether specimens of the medically relevant scorpion Tityus pachyurus, collected from two climatically and ecologically different regions, differ in the biological activities of the venom
Crude venom SDS-PAGE shows a high concentration of protein content with molecular mass between 34 kDa and 97 kDa and other ones with higher concentration between 14 kDa and 7 kDa, these results coincide with bands reported by Barona et al [23]
Tolima and Huila crude venoms showed variations in relative amounts of protein bands, these results are in concordance with those reported in other scorpions and arachnids where the components of the venom of a species may be more abundant in some individuals than in others due to individual variability in the composition of the venom [10,20,46,47] where aspects such as geographic distribution, diet, climate, age, and sex have been an integral part of determining the venom components [46,48,49]
Summary
We have tested whether specimens of the medically relevant scorpion Tityus pachyurus, collected from two climatically and ecologically different regions, differ in the biological activities of the venom. The neurotoxins mostly affect ion channels, mainly potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+) channels of neurons, and have been shown to play an important role in the ecology of scorpions, as well as in pharmacology and agricultural industry [1]. Scorpions have evolved specific toxins that specially affect ion channels of vertebrates or arthropods. Some peptides from scorpion venoms have gained interest in the pharmaceutical industry for their antimicrobial activities, due to the presence of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). These peptides have been extensively evaluated as therapeutic agents based on their potent activities, low resistance rates and unique mechanisms of action [7,8,9]
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