The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides

 

The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides

Abstract

Mesobuthus martensii, the source species of the traditional Chinese medicine “Quanxie”, has long been utilized for its therapeutic properties. Venom peptides are recognized as the major active molecular basis of these pharmacological activities. Despite this, their development as therapeutic agents remains poorly explored. In this study, we performed an integrated multi-omics investigation to systematically explore the venom peptides of Mesobuthus martensii. We generated a chromosome-level genome assembly of Mesobuthus martensii using third-generation sequencing technologies, yielding a genome size of 1.08 Gb with a contig N50 of 46.46 Mb. Integrated genomic and transcriptomic analyses led to the identification of 51 putative novel venom peptide candidates. From the broader venom peptide set, five lysine- and arginine-rich candidates were selected for recombinant expression and functional characterization. Functional evaluation revealed that MmTX67, MmTX106 and MmTX126 modulated coagulation-related parameters in vitro, with MmTX106 further demonstrating the most pronounced antithrombotic effect in vivo. Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into the genetic basis of bioactive substances in “Quanxie” and highlight MmTX106 as the most promising antithrombotic candidate, while providing a molecular foundation for further evaluation of other scorpion venom-derived peptide candidates.

Liu, D., Zeng, Q., Sun, Y., Li, C., Song, Y., Shang, Z., Li, K., Zhu, H., Li, F., Shen, C., & Ju, J. (2026). The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides. Pharmaceutical Science Advances, 100149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscia.2026.100149