Individual variation in the protein profile of the venom of Mesobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832, Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Turkey

Ozcan Ozkan (1), Gulay Ciftci (2)

(1) Refik Saydam Public Health Agency, Ankara, Turkey; (2) Department of Biochemistry, University of 19 May, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Samsun, Turkey.

ABSTRACT: Mesobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) scorpions were collected from Mugla province in the Aegean region of Turkey and housed in individual boxes. The venom composition was analyzed using gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Interestingly, all scorpion venom samples contained only one common protein band (~68 kDa). Two protein bands (30 and 98 kDa) were common in six venom samples and were absent in other venoms; though, two different protein bands with molecular masses of 28 and 45 kDa were detected in seven venom samples. In this study, we proposed that there may be variations in the composition of individual scorpion venom samples collected from the same geographic region, based on the electrophoretic profile. Further studies will be necessary in order asses these variations and to identify the proteins corresponding to the bands.

KEY WORDS: scorpion, Mesobuthus gibbosus, venom, protein, Turkey.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

OZCAN OZKAN, Refik Saydam Public Health Agency, 06100 Ankara, Turkey. Phone: 00 +90 312 498 21 50. Email: ozcanozkan_62@hotmail.com