Subproteome of fraction I from the venom of Tityus serrulatus scorpion by mass spectrometry

Abstract

Tityus serrulatus (Ts) is considered the most common and dangerous species in Brazil, being responsible for the greatest number of accidents. Its venom is composed of many substances such as insoluble mucus, oligopeptides, mucopolysaccharides, nucleotides, low molecular, weight molecules (serotonin or histamine), protease inhibitors, histamine releasers, amino acids and other organic compounds, enzymes and neurotoxins. The study of venom components can help to elucidate the systems involved in envenoming and to identify molecules that can be used as molecular tools and/or drugs with therapeutic action. Protein separation techniques, such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and mass spectrometry associated with soft ionization mechanisms, allowed a more detailed proteomic analysis of animal venoms. Therefore, this project aims to apply mass spectrometry techniques for structural analysis of the components present in fraction I from Tityus serrulatus venom. Many components of this fraction were isolated by different chromatographic procedures and their structural characterizations will indicate the toxin class to which they belong and if they present potential biotechnological applications. (AU)