Proteomic characterization and lethality of the venom of the Black Judean scorpion, Hottentotta judaicus (Buthidae): expanded toxin diversity and revisited toxicological significance
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| Autorzy: | , , , |
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| Format: | artículo original |
| Data wydania: | 2025 |
| Opis: | The scorpion Hottentotta judaicus inhabits the Levant region of the Middle East, including Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine,and Israel. While previous research focused on its insecticidal properties and sodium-channel-targeting toxins, its venomremains largely unexplored using modern proteomic approaches. We analyzed the venom composition of H. judaicus fromLebanese specimens using nESI-MS/MS, MALDI-TOF MS, SDS-PAGE, and RP-HPLC. Venom lethality in mice wasassessed (LD₅₀ = 11.87 [6.59–17.16] mg/kg, i.p.), confirming moderate toxicity to vertebrates. RP-HPLC on C18resolved37 peaks, with 25 eluting between 20–40% acetonitrile. Reducing SDS-PAGE revealed predominant components < 10 kDaand minor bands at 31, 46, and 77 kDa. MaLDI-TOF MS detected 20 components from 1,000–12,000 m/z. A bottom-upshotgun nLC-MS/MS approach, following in-gel tryptic digestion of venom, identified 55 components across 15 proteinfamilies. Ion channel-active toxins [K⁺ (7), Na⁺ (16), Cl⁻ (1), ryanodine receptor (1)] and enzyme components (17) werepredominant. This study provides proteomic evidence of H. judaicus venom components previously only identified at thetranscriptomic level and reveals a richer venom profile than anticipated. Novel identified components include alternativeβ-subunits of lipolysis-activating proteins, as well as homologs of Olivierus martensii antimicrobial peptide inhibitor HAP-1, Leiurus hebraeus Lqhβ1, Parabuthus transvaalicus Birtoxin, and peptide Hj2a from Hottentotta jayakari exhibiting dualα/β-toxin activity on Nav1.1 channels. This expanding repertoire of potential bioactive components prompts a reevaluationof the pathophysiological consequences of H. judaicus envenomation in humans and further exploration of their potentialbiomedical applications. |
| Kraj: | Kérwá |
| Instytucja: | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Kérwá |
| Język: | Inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:kerwa.ucr.ac.cr:10669/104522 |
| Dostęp online: | https://hdl.handle.net/10669/104522 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-025-04186-x |
| Słowo kluczowe: | Hottentotta judaicus Venom Toxins Toxicity Scorpion Proteomics |