Background and aims: In recent years, several studies have been conducted on animal and insect poisons with the aim of finding molecules with medicinal properties. Scorpion toxins have small molecules with different biological and pharmacological properties. One of these toxins is the analgesic- antitumor peptide (AGAP) that is effective in the treatment of cancer and pain. In this study, gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis was performed to evaluate analgesic-antitumor like peptide from Iranian yellow scorpion Mesobuthus eupeus.

Methods: In this experimental study, Iranian scorpion Mesobuthus eupeus samples were isolated and the total DNA was extracted. AGAP-like gene was amplified with specific primers for conserved sequences and named MeIAGAP Mesobuthus eupeus Iranian AGAP. Then MeIAGAP sequences were compared with other similar gene from other species of scorpion by CLC main workbench 5 software. Furthermore, the introns sequence, regulatory elements, and the adenine branches point of this toxin examined with the same sequences.

Results: The sequence of MeI AGAP was 507 nucleotides long. The sequence of MeIAGAP gene is shorter than BmK AGAP gene sequences isolated from Buthus martensii, because MeI AGAP has a large deletion in intron sequences. Mature peptide sequences were similar about 93%. MeI AGAP gene sequences from Iranian yellow scorpion Mesobuthus eupeus was reported for the first time in this study.

Conclusion: Homology analysis showed multiple differences in sequences that can be specific for Iranian subspecies of this scorpion. Furthermore, MeIAGAP relief acts as drug for cancer and pain treatment due to its high similarity with analgesic-antitumor drug.