title: Isolation of scorpion (Androctonus amoreuxi) putative alpha neurotoxins and parallel cloning of their respective cDNAs from a single sample of venom.
abstract: The venoms of buthid scorpions are known to contain basic, single-chain protein toxins (alpha toxins) consisting of 60-70 amino acid residues that are tightly folded by four disulfide bridges. Here we describe isolation and sequencing of three novel putative alpha toxins (AamH1-3) from the venom of the North African scorpion, Androctonus amoreuxi, and subsequent cloning of their precursor cDNAs from the same sample of venom. This experimental approach can expedite functional genomic analyses of the protein toxins from this group of venomous animals and does not require specimen sacrifice for cloning of protein toxin precursor cDNAs.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, Coleraine, UK.
authors.forename: Tianbao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ronan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Folan
authors.forename: HangFai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: Edmund J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: O'Kane
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bjourson
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012605:Scorpions / Q000737:chemistry*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009498:Neurotoxins; D012604:Scorpion Venoms