Venom diversity in the Neotropical scorpion genus Tityus: Implications for antivenom design emerging from molecular and immunochemical analyses across endemic areas of scorpionism

Borges, Adolfo; Lomonte, Bruno; Angulo, Yamileth; Patiño, Hildaura Acosta de; Pascale, Juan Miguel; Otero, Rafael; Miranda, Roberto J.; Sousa, Leonardo De; Graham, Matthew R.; Gómez, Aarón; Pardal, Pedro Pereira de Oliveira; Ishikawa, Edna Aoba Yassui; Bonilla, Fabián; Castillo, Adolfo; Ávila, Ricardo Andrez Machado de; Gómez, Juan Pablo; Caro-López, Jorge A.

doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105346

Cited by 23 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…The antivenom produced against T. discrepans in Venezuela was not used either considering its low recognition towards venoms from southern South American Tityus spp. and that it does not abolish the action of T. serrulatus NaTxs and KTxs on ion channels [48,1]. Our preliminary assessment using a single dose of antivenom suggested that the Brazilian (anti-T. serrulatus) AV offered the best protection in the mouse neutralization assay.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…We did not assay the AV produced in Mexico against species in the genus Centruroides as its lower immunoreactivity towards Tityus spp. venom components has been demosntrated [1,12]. The antivenom produced against T. discrepans in Venezuela was not used either considering its low recognition towards venoms from southern South American Tityus spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Venom from Venezuelan T. discrepans was included as an additional control considering its reported low recognition by the Brazilian AV and its phylogenetic separation from southern South American Tityus spp. including T. serrulatus and T. trivittatus [1]. Blots developed with the Brazilian AV showed a greater number of recognized components in T. serrulatus and T. trivittatus (both populations) compared to the INPB AV, particularly the low molecular mass fraction (<10 kDa) which corresponds to scorpion toxins targeting ion channels [34].…”

Section: In Vivo Neutralization Of T Trivittatus Venom From Paraguaymentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Envenoming by scorpions belonging to the genus Tityus is a public health problem in southern South America, which has been classified as a hyperendemic area of scorpionism [1,2]. In southeast Brazil the most problematic scorpion is T. serrulatus Lutz & Mello, a parthenogenetic species currently expanding its range and responsible for most severe envenomations in the area [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Venom from Argentinean populations has been thoroughly studied from clinical, immunological, biochemical, pathological and toxicological perspectives [12,7,4]. However, considering the potential medical importance of T. trivittatus outside Argentina, its predicted changing distribution due to global warming, and the reported divergence in venom composition and action even among closely related Tityus species [1], further study is urgently needed. In this contribution, we studied the lethality, neutralization by available antivenoms, proteolytic activity, and molecular mass fingerprinting of venom from an urban T. trivittatus population from Paraguay.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genetic and toxinological divergence among populations of Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, 1898 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) inhabiting Paraguay and Argentina

et al. 2020

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Envenoming by scorpions in genus Tityus is a public health problem in Tropical America. One of the most medically significant species is Tityus trivittatus, which is known to occur from southwest Brazil to central-northern and eastern Argentina. In this work, we studied the lethality, composition, antigenicity, and enzymatic activity of venom from a T. trivittatus population found further north in urban areas of eastern Paraguay, where it has caused serious envenomation of children. Our results indicate that the population is of medical importance as it produces a potently toxic venom with an LD50 around 1.19 mg/kg. Venom neutralization in preliminary mouse bioassays was complete when using Brazilian anti-T. serrulatus antivenom but only partial when using Argentinean anti-T. trivittatus antivenom. Venom competitive solid-phase enzyme immunoassays and immunoblotting from Argentinean and Paraguayan T. trivittatus populations indicated that antigenic differences exist across the species range. SDS-PAGE showed variations in type and relative amounts of venom proteins between T. trivitattus samples from Argentina and Paraguay. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry indicated that while some sodium channel toxins are shared, including β-toxin Tt1g, others are population-specific. Proteolytic activity by zymography and peptide identification through nESI-MS/MS also point out that population-specific proteases may exist in T. trivitattus, which are postulated to be involved in the envenoming process. A time-calibrated molecular phylogeny of mitochondrial COI sequences revealed a significant (8.14%) genetic differentiation between the Argentinean and Paraguayan populations, which appeared to have diverged between the mid Miocene and early Pliocene. Altogether, toxinological and genetic evidence indicate that T. trivitattus populations from Paraguay and Argentina correspond to distinct, unique cryptic species, and suggest that further venom and taxonomic diversity exists in synanthropic southern South American Tityus than previously thought.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: In Vivo Neutralization Of T Trivittatus Venom From Paraguaymentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Genetic and toxinological divergence among populations of Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, 1898 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) inhabiting Paraguay and Argentina

et al. 2020

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Production of recombinant scorpion antivenoms in E. coli: current state and perspectives

Alonso Villela,

Kraïem-Ghezal,

Bouhaouala-Zahar

et al. 2023

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

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Venomics of the Scorpion Tityus ocelote (Scorpiones, Buthidae): Understanding Venom Evolution in the Subgenus Archaeotityus

Díaz

Chang-Castillo

Lomonte

et al. 2022

Int J Pept Res Ther

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The subgenus Tityus (Archaeotityus) includes small variegated species considered until recently, a basal group within Tityus, one of the most diverse and medically relevant genera of scorpions in the New World. Archaeotityus species are distributed in the humid forests of Lower Central America and the Choco, Guiana Shield, and Amazon regions. Due to their size and habits, Archaeotityus species are not usually considered dangerous, however, there are some clinical reports that show otherwise. To contribute to the toxinological knowledge of these poorly explored species, we characterized the venom of Tityus ocelote from three localities in Costa Rica. In addition, we assessed the evolutionary relationships of putative sodium channel modulating peptides found in this species with those reported for other members of the genus, through a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on their amino acid sequences.We observed the presence of homologs of previously identi ed NaTx from the species T. (Archaeotityus) clathratus and some other putative Na + and K + channel modulating peptides related to the T. bahiensis group. In addition, we sequenced some peptides related to toxins present in the venom of the subgenus Atreus, such as those reported T. obscurus, T. pachyurus, and the Costa Rican endemic species T. dedoslargos. Our phylogenetic analysis suggests that the venom of this Archaeotityus species is very complex and that some of the ion channel toxins expressed in it are related to distinct lineages within the genus Tityus, which could represent a plesiomorphic condition conserved in this group of scorpions of the New World.

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Venom diversity in the Neotropical scorpion genus Tityus: Implications for antivenom design emerging from molecular and immunochemical analyses across endemic areas of scorpionism

Cited by 23 publications

References 75 publications

Genetic and toxinological divergence among populations of Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, 1898 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) inhabiting Paraguay and Argentina

Genetic and toxinological divergence among populations of Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, 1898 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) inhabiting Paraguay and Argentina

Production of recombinant scorpion antivenoms in E. coli: current state and perspectives

Venomics of the Scorpion Tityus ocelote (Scorpiones, Buthidae): Understanding Venom Evolution in the Subgenus Archaeotityus

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