CHARACTERIZATION OF VENOM PROTEINS FROM TWO SPECIES OF SCORPIONFISH GROUP; HYPODYTES RUBRIPINNIS & SYNANCEJA VERRUCOSA

This study describes the effect of venom from two species of scorpionfish; Hypodytes rubripinnis and Synanceja verrucosa on normal and malignant cell lines with especial reference to protein components, which may cause selective proliferation and/or lysis of the cell lines and to monitor the extent of such effects. Flow cytometric analysis also enabled us to follow the effect on morphology of individual cells. We have attempted to characterize the two venoms in terms of their biological properties, and the findings reported here indicate that venom from both species possess mitogenic as well as cytotoxic properties with differentiation of cell lines.\ud \ud Hypodytes rubripinnis, commonly known as 'redfin velvetfish' is amongst the dangerous species of scorpion-fish that elicit severe effects on humans following envenomation including intense pain, swelling around the area of sting and tissue necrosis.\ud \ud S. verrucosa commonly known as stonefish is a well-known specie of the scorpion-fish group. Venom from S. verrucosa has been studied extensively for its pharmacological and enzymatic properties.\ud \ud The first part of the present study is based on the comparison of some biological activities of venom from the two species. Venom from H. rubripinnis caused agglutination of rabbit erythrocytes, and showed mitogenic and cytotoxic activities on different cell lines. Chromatography of crude venom was performed using gel filtration. The fractions obtained were analyzed for agglutination, mitogenesis and cytotoxicity. Fraction II obtained after gel filtration of crude venom showed cytotoxic activity and was further fractionated on reversed phase HPLC. In the present study we have isolated a 90-kDa protein using gel filtration and reversed phase HPLC, possessing cytotoxic activity. Further studies are required to characterize this protein.\ud \ud Crude venom from S. verrucosa was also subjected to mitogenic, cytotoxic and flow cytometric analysis, using different cell lines. The venom proteins were fractionated on Sephadex G-200 and RP-HPLC. Two low molecular mass proteins were found to be homogenous on SDS PAGE. Amino acid analysis of these proteins revealed close resemblance to lectins isolated from marine venoms. Further studies are required to characterize the biological activities of these fractions