Yan Kalapothakis, Kelton Miranda, Matheus Aragão, Débora Larangote, Gracielle Braga-Pereira, Marina Noetzold, Denis Molina, Rafael Langer, Izabela Mamede Conceição, Clara Guerra-Duarte, Carlos Chávez-Olórtegui, Evanguedes Kalapothakis, Adolfo Borges
The Brazilian scorpion Tityus melici, native to Minas Gerais and Bahia, is morphologically related to Tityus serrulatus, the most medically significant species in Brazil. Despite inhabiting scorpion-envenomation endemic regions, T. melici venom remains unexplored. This work evaluates T. melici venom composition and function using transcriptomics, enzymatic activities, and in vivo and in vitro immunological analyses. Next-Generation Sequencing unveiled 86 components putatively involved in venom toxicity: 39 toxins, 28 metalloproteases, seven disulfide isomerases, six hyaluronidases, three phospholipases and three amidating enzymes...
February 23, 2024: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules