title: Full characterization of three toxins from the Androctonus amoreuxi scorpion venom.
abstract: In this study, we have characterized the immunological and pharmacological properties of the three major alpha-type toxins from the scorpion Androctonus amoreuxi, AamH1, AamH2 and AamH3, which were previously described as putative toxins from cDNAs [Chen, T. et al., 2003. Regul. Pept. 115, 115-121]. The immunological tests (ELISA, RIA) have demonstrated that AamH1, AamH2 and AamH3 belong to the immunological groups 3 and 4 of alpha-type toxins. Analysis of the three toxin effects on currents through rat brain (rNav1.2), rat muscle (rNav1.4) and Drosophila (DmNav1) sodium channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes revealed that AamH1 and AamH2, but not AamH3, have anti-insect and anti-mammal activities and can be classified as alpha-like toxins. While AamH1 removes fast inactivation only in neuronal rNav1.2 channel and has no effect on muscular rNav1.4 channel, AamH2 affects both neuronal rNav1.2 and muscular rNav1.4 channels. AamH3 was lethal to mice by intracerebroventricular injection despite its lack of activity on the neuronal rNav1.2 channel. Finally, we have shown that the A. amoreuxi venom was better neutralized by the antiserum raised against the venom of Buthus occitanus tunetanus than by the antisera raised against scorpion venoms from the same genus Androctonus.
authors.affiliation: CNRS UMR 6231, CRN2M and CAPM, Université de la Méditerranée et Université Paul Cézanne. Faculté de Médecine - Secteur Nord, CS80011, Bd Pierre Dramard, 13344 Marseille Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Najwa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Legros
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ceard
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belghazi
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamon
authors.forename: Pierre E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Bougis
authors.forename: Marie-France
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Martin-Eauclaire
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000633:toxicity; D012605:Scorpions / Q000737:chemistry*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000633:toxicity; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D014981:Xenopus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007106:Immune Sera; D012604:Scorpion Venoms; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D015222:Sodium Channels