Molecular Characterization and Biodiversity of a Putative Chlorotoxin from the Iranian Yellow Scorpion Odontobuthus doriae

BACKGROUND: Chloride channels have already been over-expressed in the different types of cancer. Chlorotoxins, as the blocking agent of these channels, have been indicated to be an effective drug against tumors. In this study, we characterized a putative chlorotoxin from a cDNA library of the venom glands obtained from the Iranian scorpion Odontobuthus doriae. METHODS: A cDNA library was constructed from venom gland transcriptome of six scorpions. The cDNA encoding Odontobuthus doriae chlorotoxin was isolated from the library, and its putative peptide was characterized by some bioinformatics software such as protein blast, SignalP4.0, DISULFIND and Clustal Omega. RESULTS: The mature Odontobuthus doriae chlorotoxin peptide has a 35-amino-acid residue and four disulfide bounds. This putative chlorotoxin is a small, compact, and stable molecule. Moreover, based on the open reading frame sequence similarity, this peptide is similar to Buthus martensii Karsch chlorotoxin-like toxin and Bm12-b neurotoxins from the Chinese scorpion Mesobuthus martensii. CONCLUSION: The small size of this putative chlorotoxin and its stability make it as a suitable candidate for medical and pharmacological research, especially in the cancer research.