Kurtoxin is a 63-amino acid polypeptide isolated from the venom of the South African scorpion Parabuthus transvaalicus. It is the first and only peptide ligand known to interact with Cav3 (T-type) voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels with high affinity and to modify the voltage-dependent gating of these channels. Here we describe the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) solution structure of kurtoxin dete...

Scorpions and their venoms have been employed in medication since thousands of years in Asia. The scorpion venom is an extremely advanced mixture of salts, nucleotides, biogenic amines, enzymes, mucoproteins, peptides and proteins (e.g. Neurotoxins). Scorpion venoms contain peptides that block or modify ion-channel function and present some doable applications to regulate cell excitability. Spe...

Despite scorpions being locally abundant in many parts of Australia, scorpion sting is a poorly defined clinical condition in Australia. Many health-care workers are unaware of the effects of their stings and scorpions are often feared based on their international reputation. Five scorpion stings that occurred in different parts of Australia where the scorpion was caught at the time of the stin...

The resistance of the scorpion Androctonus australis to its own venom, as well as to the venom of other species, was investigated. A comparison of the electrical and pharmacological properties of muscle and nerve fibres from Androctonus australis with those from the crayfish Procambarus clarkii enabled us to understand the lack of effect of scorpion venom (110-180 microg ml-1) and purified toxi...

We present an identification key to the scorpion species of Yunnan (China) with notes on the distribution and ecology. Euscorpiops kubani is recorded for the first time for China. The redescriptions of Euscorpiops shidian and Euscorpiops kubani are provided. The number of known scorpion species from Yunnan is raised to nine.

An updated checklist of the scorpion fauna of Iran, as well as a brief history of taxonomic research on scorpions of Iran is presented. The checklist is based on records of scorpion species whose presence has been confirmed in Iran through field expeditions, examination of scorpion collections, literature review, and personal communications from researchers. The scorpion fauna consists of 51 sp...

This paper records for the first time the exocrine pancreatic response to scorpion venom, in this case that of Tityus trinitatis, a scorpion endemic in Trinidad. The crude venom injected intravenously into fasting anaesthetised dogs induced a secretion of the exocrine pancreas. The secretion evoked was rich in enzymes.