NMR three-dimensional structure of the cationic peptide Stigmurin from Tityus stigmurus scorpion venom: In vitro antioxidant and in vivo antibacterial and healing activity. | LitMetric
Laboratório de Tecnologia e Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil. Electronic address:
Published: March 2021
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Article Abstract
Infectious diseases and the rapid development of pathogens resistant to conventional drugs are a serious global public health problem, which motivates the search for new pharmacological agents. In this context, cationic peptides without disulfide bridges from different species of scorpion venom have been the target of scientific studies due to their multifunctional activities. Stigmurin is a linear peptide composed of 17 amino acid residues (Phe-Phe-Ser-Leu-Ile-Pro-Ser-Leu-Val-Gly-Gly-Leu-Ile-Ser-Ala-Phe-Lys-NH), which is present in the venom gland of the scorpion Tityus stigmurus. Here we present investigations of the in vitro antioxidant action of Stigmurin together with the in vivo antibacterial and healing activity of this peptide in a wound infection model induced by Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, we have reports for the first time of the three-dimensional structure determined by NMR spectroscopy of a peptide without disulfide bridges present in scorpion venom from the Tityus genus. Stigmurin showed hydroxyl radical scavenging above 70 % at 10 μM and antibiotic action in the skin wound, reducing the number of viable microorganisms by 67.2 % on the 7 day after infection. Stigmurin (1 μg / μL) increased the retraction rate of the lesion, with wound area reduction of 43 % on the second day after skin injury, which indicates its ability to induce tissue repair. Stigmurin in trifluoroethanol:water exhibited a random conformation at the N-terminus region (Phe1 to Pro6), with a helical structure from Ser7 to Phe16. This structural information, allied with the multifunctional activity of Stigmurin, makes it an attractive candidate for the design of novel therapeutic agents.
One neglected zoonotic illness is toxocariasis. There are not enough anthelmintic drugs in the market to treat low-effectiveness toxocariasis against migrating larvae. Therefore, it is critical to find new, safe alternatives to toxocariasis treatment today.
A previously healthy middle-aged man in his 40s with a history of red scorpion envenomation presented to the emergency department for the management of an acute stroke syndrome, involving the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory, that developed 12 hours after the scorpion sting. He presented to the hospital 15 hours following the stroke. The activation of the autonomic nervous system by the Indian red scorpion venom is known to produce severe systemic manifestations, including cardiogenic shock and acute pulmonary oedema.
Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, 62210, Morelos, Mexico. Electronic address:
The systematic annotation of novel peptides found in the venom of scorpions needs revision. The commonly used two-letter acronym with the initials of the genus and the species is not discriminative and induces confusion. A new universal five-letter abbreviated code is here proposed.
Microbial Biotechnology and Protein Research Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, School of Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur, 784028, Assam, India; Division of Life Sciences, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Vigyan Path Garchuk, Paschim Boragaon, Guwahati, 781035, Assam, India; Academy of Science and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India. Electronic address:
Scorpion envenomation's ignored public health problem in tropical and subtropical countries is alarming. Particularly dangerous for small children and the elderly, it can cause severe problems and even death. Recent studies have proposed the creation of rapid, easy, species-specific, and sensitive detection kits as an alternative to the methods currently used to identify scorpions.
