Venom diversity in the Neotropical scorpion genus Tityus: Implications for antivenom design emerging from molecular and immunochemical analyses across endemic areas of scorpionism.
Antivenom
Immunochemical
Neurotoxin
Scorpion
Tityus
Venom
Journal
Acta tropica
ISSN: 1873-6254
Titre abrégé: Acta Trop
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 0370374
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Apr 2020
Apr 2020
Historique:
received:
01
11
2019
revised:
14
01
2020
accepted:
14
01
2020
pubmed:
27
1
2020
medline:
21
8
2020
entrez:
27
1
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Scorpions of the Neotropical genus Tityus are responsible for most severe envenomations in the Caribbean, South America, and Lower Central America (LCA). Although Tityus is taxonomically complex, contains high toxin polymorphism, and produces variable clinical manifestations, treatment is limited to antivenoms produced against species with restricted distributions. In this study, we explored the compositional and antigenic diversity of Tityus venoms to provide improved guidelines for the use of available antivenoms at a broader geographic scale. We used immunoblotting, competitive ELISA, and in vivo studies to compare reactivity against commercial antivenoms from Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico, as well as MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, cDNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses to assess venom sodium channel-active toxin (NaTx) content from medically important Tityus populations inhabiting Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Additionally, we raised rabbit antibodies against Tityus venoms from LCA to test for cross-reactivity with congeneric species. The results suggest that Tityus spp. possess high venom antigenic diversity, underlying the existence of four toxinological regions in Tropical America, based on venom composition and immunochemical criteria: LCA/Colombia/Amazonia (Region I), Venezuela (Region II), southeast South America (Region III), and a fourth region encompassing species related to toxinologically divergent Tityus cerroazul. Importantly, our molecular and cross-reactivity results highlight the need for new antivenoms against species inhabiting Region I, where scorpions may produce venoms that are not significantly reactive against available antivenoms.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31982434
pii: S0001-706X(19)31478-0
doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105346
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Antivenins
0
Scorpion Venoms
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
105346Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of Conflict Interest None.