Electrophysiological characterization of Tityus serrulatus venom toxins Ts3, Ts4, Ts6, Ts8, Ts15 and TS venom peptide 7: looking for new desired drugs

• Grant number: 13/21329-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: March 01, 2014
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Toxicology
• Principal Investigator: Eliane Candiani Arantes Braga
• Grantee: Manuela Berto Pucca
• Supervisor: Jan Tytgat
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Leuven, Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/12954-6 - Study of the toxins Ts6 e Ts15 from the scorpion Tityus serrulatus as potential therapeutic drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, BP.PD

Abstract

In recent years, attention was focused on biologically active peptides isolated from animal venoms and their physiological relevance. This movement was strengthened by the increased interest of pharmaceutical industries in the use of such molecules as drug leads. Among the biologically active molecules of greatest biotechnological potential are animal toxins, including scorpion peptides.The voltage-clamp technique with two-microelectrodes using Xenopus laevis oocytes constitute a simple, low-cost and well-controlled system for expression of exogenous proteins in large quantity. This technique is a powerful method for studying several aspects of ion channel biology, including permeation properties, structure-function relationships, regulation by intracellular and extracellular molecules and stoichiometry. In toxinology studies, this method can elucidate the neurotoxins functions, channel specificity and assist to model a desired drug.In this way, the main purpose of this internship is to establish in-depth characterization of the toxins Ts3, Ts4, Ts8 and Ts venom peptide 7 at the level of the biological target, i.e., the voltage-gated potassium and sodium channels. Moreover, the toxins Ts6 and Ts15 will be tested on channels not yet studied, aiming to complete their electrophysiological screening and to confirm its specificity to channels Kv1.2 and Kv1.3. Therefore, the assays will be carried out in the Laboratory of Toxicology and Food Chemistry at the University of Leuven (KULeuven) under the supervision of the Professor Jan Tytgat, head of a consolidate group on the electrophysiology area. (AU)

Scientific publications

(9)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PUCCA, MANUELA B.; BERTOLINI, THAIS B.; CERNI, FELIPE A.; BORDON, KARLA C. F.; PEIGNEUR, STEVE; TYTGAT, JAN; BONATO, VANIA L.; ARANTES, ELIANE C.. Immunosuppressive evidence of Tityus serrulatus toxins Ts6 and Ts15: insights of a novel K+ channel pattern in T cells. Immunology, v. 147, n. 2, p. 240-250, FEB 2016. (12/12954-6, 13/21342-7, 13/21329-0, 12/13590-8)

PUCCA, MANUELA B.; CERNI, FELIPE A.; PEIGNEUR, STEVE; BORDON, KARLA C. F.; TYTGAT, JAN; ARANTES, ELIANE C.. Revealing the Function and the Structural Model of Ts4: Insights into the ``Non-Toxic{''} Toxin from Tityus serrulatus Venom. TOXINS, v. 7, n. 7, p. 2534-2550, JUL 2015. (13/21342-7, 13/21329-0)

PUCCA, MANUELA BERTO; CERNI, FELIPE AUGUSTO; PINHEIRO-JUNIOR, ERNESTO LOPES; ZOCCAL, KARINA FURLANI; FIGUEIREDO BORDON, KARLA DE CASTRO; AMORIM, FERNANDA GOBBI; PEIGNEUR, STEVE; VRIENS, KIM; THEVISSEN, KARIN; ANGELO CAMMUE, BRUNO PHILIPPE; et al. Non-disulfide-bridged peptides from Tityus serrulatus venom: Evidence for proline-free ACE-inhibitors. Peptides, v. 82, p. 44-51, AUG 2016. (13/21342-7, 14/03332-7, 12/13590-8, 13/06380-0, 14/07125-6, 13/21329-0, 11/12317-3)

PUCCA, MANUELA B.; CERNI, FELIPE A.; PEIGNEUR, STEVE; BORDON, KARLA C. F.; TYTGAT, JAN; ARANTES, ELIANE C.. Revealing the Function and the Structural Model of Ts4: Insights into the "Non-Toxic" Toxin from Tityus serrulatus Venom. TOXINS, v. 7, n. 7, p. 17-pg., 2015-07-01. (13/21329-0, 13/21342-7)

PUCCA, MANUELA BERTO; CERNI, FELIPE AUGUSTO; CORDEIRO, FRANCIELLE ALMEIDA; PEIGNEUR, STEVE; CUNHA, THIAGO MATTAR; TYTGAT, JAN; ARANTES, ELIANE CANDIANI. Ts8 scorpion toxin inhibits the Kv4.2 channel and produces nociception in vivo. Toxicon, v. 119, p. 244-252, SEP 1 2016. (12/12954-6, 13/21342-7, 12/13590-8, 13/21329-0, 13/08216-2)

CERNI, FELIPE AUGUSTO; PUCCA, MANUELA BERTO; ZOCCAL, KARINA FURLANI; FRANTZ, FABIANI GAI; FACCIOLI, LUCIA HELENA; ARANTES, ELIANE CANDIANI. Expanding biological activities of Ts19 Frag-II toxin: Insights into IL-17 production. Toxicon, v. 134, p. 18-25, AUG 2017. (14/07125-6, 13/21329-0, 14/03332-7, 13/21342-7)

PUCCA, MANUELA B.; PEIGNEUR, STEVE; COLOGNA, CAMILA T.; CERNI, FELIPE A.; ZOCCAL, KARINA F.; BORDON, KARLA DE C. F.; FACCIOLI, LUCIA H.; TYTGAT, JAN; ARANTES, ELIANE C.. Electrophysiological characterization of the first Tityus serrulatus alpha-like toxin, Ts5: Evidence of a pro-inflammatory toxin on macrophages. Biochimie, v. 115, p. 8-16, AUG 2015. (13/21342-7, 14/03332-7, 13/21329-0, 09/07169-5, 13/26200-6)

CERNI, FELIPE AUGUSTO; PUCCA, MANUELA BERTO; AMORIM, FERNANDA GOBBI; FIGUEIREDO BORDON, KARLA DE CASTRO; ECHTERBILLE, JULIEN; QUINTON, LOIC; DE PAUW, EDWIN; PEIGNEUR, STEVE; TYTGAT, JAN; ARANTES, ELIANE CANDIANI. Isolation and characterization of Ts19 Fragment II, a new long-chain potassium channel toxin from Tityus serrulatus venom. Peptides, v. 80, p. 9-17, JUN 2016. (13/21342-7, 12/13590-8, 13/21329-0, 13/26083-0, 11/12317-3)

PUCCA, MANUELA B.; BERTOLINI, THAIS B.; CERNI, FELIPE A.; BORDON, KARLA C. F.; PEIGNEUR, STEVE; TYTGAT, JAN; BONATO, VANIA L.; ARANTES, ELIANE C.. Immunosuppressive evidence of Tityus serrulatus toxins Ts6 and Ts15: insights of a novel K+ channel pattern in T cells. IMMUNOLOGY, v. 147, n. 2, p. 11-pg., 2016-02-01. (12/12954-6, 13/21329-0, 13/21342-7, 12/13590-8)