title: Characterization of peptide components in the venom of the scorpion Liocheles australasiae (Hemiscorpiidae).
abstract: Scorpion venoms are composed of a number of neurotoxic peptides. A variety of toxins have been isolated from the venoms of scorpions of the family Buthidae, however, little interest has been paid to non-Buthidae scorpions. In this study, we examined the toxicity of the venom of Liocheles australasiae (Hemiscorpiidae) to mice and crickets, and characterized the peptide components by HPLC and mass spectrometry. Over 200 components were detected in the L. australasiae venom by LC/MS analysis, with components of molecular masses ranging from 500 to 5000 Da being particularly abundant. A number of peptides contained two to four disulfide bridges, which was estimated based on the mass difference after derivatization of Cys residues. A peptide having a monoisotopic molecular mass of 7781.6 Da and four disulfide bridges was isolated from the venom. The peptide has a primary structure similar in terms of the position of eight Cys residues to those observed in several peptides found from scorpions, ticks and insects, although biological roles of these peptides are unknown.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Life Sciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan. miyamasa@kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Otsuki
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hanai
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006135:Gryllidae / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D012605:Scorpions / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D012604:Scorpion Venoms