title: Scorpion venom complexity fractal analysis. Its relevance for comparing venoms.
abstract: We analyzed the venom elution pattern of 15 scorpions species. Data were scanned at 1 Hz and stored digitally. Approximate fractal dimension (D) [Sevcik (1998)] was calculated for minutes 0-60 of the elutions. D was calculated for either the whole time range, or calculated using a window of 500 points, which was displaced by one time increment recursively, and stored [(t(i),D(i)) sets]. We avoid the term complexity as much as possible since defining complexity is difficult; instead we propose the term contortedness and represent it by the variable Q=D-1. To compare venom contortednesses of different species, a phase plot with their (t(i),Q(i)) sets was constructed and determination coefficient (d(s)) were calculated squaring the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. (t(i),Q(i)) sets of several elutions of the same species were averaged and compared with other species finding that some were amazingly similar (Tityus clathratus vs Tityus caripitensis, d(s) = 0.813). Tityus discrepans was similar to 6 of 8 species of the same genus (d(s) ranging from 0.23 to 0.49), and also similar to Centruroides gracilis and Chactas laevipes (d(s) 0.54 and 0.49, respectively). Serendipitously,T. discrepans was chosen many years ago to produce anti-Tityus antivenom in Venezuela; perhaps the clinical success in neutralizing the venom of the other known Venezuelan Tityus, stems from the mimetism of this venom with the remaining species' venom.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory on Cellular Neuropharmacology, Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas , IVIC CBB, Apartado 20632, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Suze
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sevcik
mesh_terms: D000097:Acetonitriles / Q000737:chemistry; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D056148:Chromatography, Reverse-Phase / Q000379:methods*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D017709:Fractals; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D012604:Scorpion Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*; D012605:Scorpions / Q000737:chemistry; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D012984:Software; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000097:Acetonitriles; D012604:Scorpion Venoms; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; C042953:octadecyl silane-bonded silica