ScorpDb: A Novel Open-Access Database for Integrative Scorpion Toxinology

Abstract

Scorpion stings are a significant public health concern globally, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Scorpion venoms contain a diverse array of bioactive peptides, and different scorpion species around the world typically exhibit varying venom profiles, resulting in a wide range of envenomation symptoms. Despite their harmful effects, scorpion venom peptides hold immense potential for drug development due to their unique characteristics. Therefore, the establishment of a comprehensive database that catalogs scorpions along with their known venom peptides and proteins is imperative in furthering research efforts in this research area. We hereby present ScorpDb, a novel database that offers convenient access to data related to different scorpion species, the peptides and proteins found in their venoms, and the symptoms they can cause. To this end, the ScorpDb database has been primarily advanced to accommodate data on the Iranian scorpion fauna. From there, we propose future community efforts to include a larger diversity of scorpions and scorpion venom components. ScorpDb holds the promise to become a valuable resource for different professionals from a variety of research fields, like toxinologists, arachnologists, and pharmacologists. The database is available at https://www.scorpdb.com/.

Keywords: database; scorpion; scorpion venom peptides; taxonomy; venomics.

Figure 1

Main window of ScorpDb. The home page was considered as the initial page. It features seven tabs at the top of the page. Information about scorpion species and scorpion venom peptides is accessible by clicking on the two main tabs: “Scorpion Search” and “Scorpion Peptide Search”.

Figure 2

The overall architecture of ScorpDb. The main page of the site contains seven major tabs, which are connected to the central circle (ScorpDb) with dark gray lines in the image. The two main sections of the site, which contain information on the taxonomy of scorpions and scorpion peptides, are shown in green and yellow colors, respectively.

Figure 3

An overview of the user interface of the scorpion species search module of ScorpDb. (A) Searching output according to scorpion family. The entry Hemiscorpiidae is taken as an example. All genus and species of Hemiscorpiidae are shown in a table below the searching box. (B) Searches can be restricted by entering the name of the genus in the second box (Genus Hemiscorpius used as an example). (C) Alternatively, species can be selected from the third box (Species) or the list below (in the example, Hemiscorpius lepturus). By clicking on the tick mark next to the name of each scorpion species listed in the appearing table, additional information will be displayed in a separate box.