Scorpine, an anti-malaria and anti-bacterial agent purified from scorpion venom

A novel peptide, scorpine, was isolated from the venom of the scorpion Pandinus imperator, with anti-bacterial activity and a potent inhibitory effect on the ookinete (ED50 0.7 mu M) and gamete (ED50 10 mu M) stages of Plasmodium berghei development. It has 75 amino acids, three disulfide bridges with a molecular mass of 8350 Da. Scorpine has a unique amino acid sequence, similar only to some cecropins in its N-terminal segment and to some defensins in its C-terminal region, its gene was cloned from a cDNA library. (C) 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.