The presence of cytotoxic CD4 and exhausted-like CD8+ T-cells is a signature of active tuberculosis.

Chronic infections induce CD4+ T-cells with cytotoxic functions (CD4 CTLs); at present, it is still unknown whether latent tuberculosis (LTB) and active tuberculosis (ATB) induce CD4 CTLs. Plasma and cells from four patient groups-uninfected contact (UC), LTB, and ATB (divided as sensitive [DS-TB]- or resistant [DR-TB]-drug)-were evaluated by flow cytometry, q-PCR, and proteomics. The data showed that ATB patients had an increased frequency of CD4+ T-cells and a decreased frequency of CD8+ T-cells.

Quantitative proteomic analysis reveals high interference on protein expression of H9c2 cells activated with glucose and cardiotonic steroids.

In recent decades, the incidence of death and morbidity due to diabetes has increased worldwide, causing a high social and economic impact. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and lower limb amputation. However, the molecular mechanisms that make the heart and kidneys the main targets of diabetes are not completely understood.

Dissecting Toxicity: The Venom Gland Transcriptome and the Venom Proteome of the Highly Venomous Scorpion (Karsch, 1879).

Venom glands and soluble venom from the Mexican scorpion (Karsch, 1879) were used for transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, respectively. An RNA-seq was performed by high-throughput sequencing with the Illumina platform. Approximately 80 million reads were obtained and assembled into 198,662 putative transcripts, of which 11,058 were annotated by similarity to sequences from available databases.

Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses Reveal the Diversity of Venom Components from the Vaejovid Scorpion .

To understand the diversity of scorpion venom, RNA from venomous glands from a sawfinger scorpion, , of the family Vaejovidae, was extracted and used for transcriptomic analysis. A total of 84,835 transcripts were assembled after Illumina sequencing. From those, 119 transcripts were annotated and found to putatively code for peptides or proteins that share sequence similarities with the previously reported venom components of other species.

New insights into the proteomic characterization of the coral snake Micrurus pyrrhocryptus venom.

A proteomic analysis of the soluble venom of the coral snake Micrurus pyrrhocryptus is reported in this work. The whole soluble venom was separated by RP-HPLC and the molecular weights of its components (over 100) were determined by mass spectrometry. Three main sets of components were identified, corresponding to peptides with molecular masses from 5 to 8 kDa, proteins from 12 to 16 kDa and proteins from 20 to 30 kDa.

A Deeper Examination of Thorellius atrox Scorpion Venom Components with Omic Techonologies.

This communication reports a further examination of venom gland transcripts and venom composition of the Mexican scorpion 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.

Venom gland transcriptomic and venom proteomic analyses of the scorpion Megacormus gertschi Díaz-Najera, 1966 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae: Megacorminae).

The soluble venom from the Mexican scorpion Megacormus gertschi of the family Euscorpiidae was obtained and its biological effects were tested in several animal models. This venom is not toxic to mice at doses of 100 μg per 20 g of mouse weight, while being lethal to arthropods (insects and crustaceans), at doses of 20 μg (for crickets) and 100 μg (for shrimps) per animal. Samples of the venom were separated by high performance liquid chromatography and circa 80 distinct chromatographic fractions were obtained from which 67 components have had their molecular weights determined by mass spectrometry analysis.

Venom Gland Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses of the Enigmatic Scorpion Superstitionia donensis (Scorpiones: Superstitioniidae), with Insights on the Evolution of Its Venom Components.

Venom gland transcriptomic and proteomic analyses have improved our knowledge on the diversity of the heterogeneous components present in scorpion venoms. However, most of these studies have focused on species from the family Buthidae. To gain insights into the molecular diversity of the venom components of scorpions belonging to the family Superstitioniidae, one of the neglected scorpion families, we performed a transcriptomic and proteomic analyses for the species .

A Comprehensive Proteomic Study of the Skin Secretions of the Frog Lithobates spectabilis.

Disulfide C-terminal loop fragments derived from AMPs and the presence of peptidases have been previously reported in the skin secretions of different amphibians. However, there are only a few studies on the identification of enzymes in frog skin secretion based on the primary structure of these proteins. Similarly, little data exist regarding the identification of disulfide C-terminal loops at large scale.

Comparative proteomic analysis of male and female venoms from the Cuban scorpion Rhopalurus junceus.

A complete mass spectrometry analysis of venom components from male and female scorpions of the species Rhophalurus junceus of Cuba is reported. In the order of 200 individual molecular masses were identified in both venoms, from which 63 are identical in male and females genders. It means that a significant difference of venom components exists between individuals of different sexes, but the most abundant components are present in both sexes.

Quantitative proteomic analysis of Huh-7 cells infected with Dengue virus by label-free LC-MS.

Unlabelled: Dengue is an important and growing public health problem worldwide with an estimated 100million new clinical cases annually. Currently, no licensed drug or vaccine is available. During natural infection in humans, liver cells constitute one of the main targets of dengue virus (DENV) replication.

A proteomic analysis of the early secondary molecular effects caused by Cn2 scorpion toxin on neuroblastoma cells.

Unlabelled: Although the primary physiological effects produced by scorpion toxins are already well known, most of the secondary molecular events following scorpion neurotoxins-ion channel interactions are poorly understood and described. For this reason, we used a proteomic approach to determine the changes in relative protein abundance in F11 mouse neuroblastoma cells treated with Cn2, the major β-toxin from the venom of the scorpion Centruroides noxius Hoffmann. Here we show that the relative abundance of 24 proteins changed after Cn2 treatment.

Proteomic characterization of the venom and transcriptomic analysis of the venomous gland from the Mexican centipede Scolopendra viridis.

Unlabelled: This communication reports the results of proteomic, transcriptomic, biochemical and electrophysiological analysis of the soluble venom and venom glands of the Mexican centipede Scolopendra viridis Say (here thereafter abbreviated S. viridis). Separation of the soluble venom permitted to obtain 54 different fractions, from which a mass finger printing analysis permitted the identification of at least 86 components, where 70% of the molecules have low molecular masses.

Eastern coral snake Micrurus fulvius venom toxicity in mice is mainly determined by neurotoxic phospholipases A2.

Unlabelled: Here we show for the first time that the venom from an elapid (Micrurus fulvius) contains three finger toxin (3FTxs) peptides with low toxicity but high content of lethal phospholipases A2 (PLA2). The intravenous venom LD50 in mice was 0.3μg/g.

A novel arrangement of Cys residues in a paralytic peptide of Conus cancellatus (jr. syn.: Conus austini), a worm-hunting snail from the Gulf of Mexico.

The present study details the purification, the amino acid sequence determination, and a preliminary characterization of the biological effects in mice of a new conotoxin from the venom of Conus cancellatus (jr. syn.: Conus austini), a worm-hunting cone snail collected in the western Gulf of Mexico (Mexico).

Characterization of the venom from the Australian scorpion Urodacus yaschenkoi: Molecular mass analysis of components, cDNA sequences and peptides with antimicrobial activity.

The Urodacidae scorpions are the most widely distributed of the four families in Australia and represent half of the species in the continent, yet their venoms remain largely unstudied. This communication reports the first results of a proteome analysis of the venom of the scorpion Urodacus yaschenkoi performed by mass fingerprinting, after high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation. A total of 74 fractions were obtained by HPLC separation allowing the identification of approximately 274 different molecular masses with molecular weights varying from 287 to 43,437 Da.

Structure, function, and chemical synthesis of Vaejovis mexicanus peptide 24: a novel potent blocker of Kv1.3 potassium channels of human T lymphocytes.

Animal venoms are rich sources of ligands for studying ion channels and other pharmacological targets. Proteomic analyses of the soluble venom from the Mexican scorpion Vaejovis mexicanus smithi showed that it contains more than 200 different components. Among them, a 36-residue peptide with a molecular mass of 3864 Da (named Vm24) was shown to be a potent blocker of Kv1.

Differential expression of proteins in the midgut of Anopheles albimanus infected with Plasmodium berghei.

The main vector for transmission of malaria in Mexico is the Anopheles albimanus mosquito. The midgut of disease-transmitting mosquitoes carries out a variety of functions that are related to blood feeding. We analyzed the midgut of A.

Peptidomic analysis of the skin secretions of the frog Pachymedusa dacnicolor.

High-resolution mass spectrometry-based peptidomics has been used to characterize several components in electro-stimulated skin secretions of the endemic Mexican frog Pachymedusa dacnicolor. Peptide mass screening performed in an Orbitrap-XL mass spectrometer showed that P. dacnicolor skin secretions possess 194 different components with molecular masses ranging mainly from 500 to 6,000 Da.

Novel antimicrobial peptides isolated from skin secretions of the Mexican frog Hyla eximia.

In this work, we describe the original characterization of peptides and proteins present in the skin secretions of the Mexican amphibian Hyla eximia. To this purpose, a novel water/dark extraction method, as well as the classic electrical stimulation procedure, was applied in order to extract the skin secretion. Two novel antimicrobial peptides He-1 and He-2 were sequenced.

Tst26, a novel peptide blocker of Kv1.2 and Kv1.3 channels from the venom of Tityus stigmurus.

Using high-performance liquid chromatography Tst26, a novel potassium channel blocker peptide, was purified from the venom of the Brazilian scorpion Tityus stigmurus. Its primary structure was determined by means of automatic Edman degradation and mass spectrometry analysis. The peptide is composed of 37 amino acid residues and tightly folded through three disulfide bridges, similar to other K(+) channel blocking peptides purified from scorpion venoms.

Proteomic analysis of the venom from the fish eating coral snake Micrurus surinamensis: novel toxins, their function and phylogeny.

The protein composition of the soluble venom from the South American fish-eating coral snake Micrurus surinamensis surinamensis, here abbreviated M. surinamensis, was separated by RP-HPLC and 2-DE, and their components were analyzed by automatic Edman degradation, MALDI-TOF and ESI-MS/MS. Approximately 100 different molecules were identified.