title: [In vivo and in vitro protection against lethal activity of Buthus occitanus tunetanus venom with a recombinant protein].
abstract: We report the use of recombinant scorpion toxin in the form of fusion protein as antigen for mice immunisation. The aim is to produce protective antisera against lethal activity of the venom from Tunisian scorpion Buthus occitanus tunetanus, responsible for several annually reported human cases of scorpion stings. The gene encoding Bot III (the most toxic alpha toxin of Buthus occitanus tunetanus) was fused to the sequence encoding synthetic ZZ domains of staphylococcal protein A. The construct ZZ-Bot III was expressed in the periplasm of E. coli as a fusion protein and purified by affinity chromatography. The recombinant fusion protein was characterized and used as antigen to generate antibodies in mice. The antibodies against the recombinant protein neutralize the toxic venom (10 LD50/ml) and also confer protection for immunized mice against antigenically related mammal toxins.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Venins et Toxines, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis-Belvedère.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Benkhadir
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mejri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bel Haj Rhouma
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Ayeb
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karoui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000997:Antivenins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D051379:Mice; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065008:Scorpion Stings / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012605:Scorpions; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000235:genetics; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D000997:Antivenins; C052251:Buthus toxin XI; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012604:Scorpion Venoms; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A