AI Article Synopsis
- - Scorpionism poses a significant public health risk in Brazil, with around 547,000 reported cases and 466 fatalities between 2014 and 2018, primarily caused by the Tityus stigmurus species in the northeast.
- - Research utilizing a transcriptomic approach has identified various components in T. stigmurus venom, such as neurotoxins and antimicrobial peptides, which exhibit diverse biological activities when tested in the lab.
- - The venom of T. stigmurus shows potential for therapeutic and biotechnological use due to its rich variety of bioactive molecules that impact neuronal, pancreatic, and renal function.
Article Abstract
Scorpionism is a serious public health problem in various regions of the world. In Brazil, a high number of accidents by scorpions have been reported. From 2014 to 2018, about 547,000 cases were recorded, resulting in 466 deaths. The scorpion Tityus stigmurus is the predominant species in the northeast of Brazil, being responsible for most scorpionism cases in this region. With the aid of the transcriptomic approach of the venom gland of this species, components as neurotoxins, antimicrobials, metal chelating peptides and hypotensins, have been identified and characterized in silico, showing different biologic activity in vitro. In addition, the neuronal, pancreatic, renal, and enzymatic effects have been demonstrated for the crude T. stigmurus venom. Therefore, the T. stigmurus scorpion venom constitutes a rich arsenal of bioactive molecules with high potential for therapeutic and biotechnological application.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.06.015 | DOI Listing |
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