Toxinological and immunological studies of capillary electrophoresis fractionated Chrysaora quinquecirrha (Desor) fishing tentacle and Chironex fleckeri Southcott nematocyst venoms

Repeated runs of capillary electrophoresis (CE) were used to study partially-purified jellyfish nematocyst venom protein in concentrations sufficient to perform toxinological assays. Nematocyst venoms from Chironex fleckeri (Cf) and Chysaora quinquecirrha were processed. The CE eluate was divided into quadrants by scanning protein content. The fourth fraction of both jellyfish venoms, contained proteins with the smallest molecular weight components, which were responsible for the highest hemolysins and the humoral and cell-mediated immunological activity. Cytotoxic Cf lethal factor activity against human liver cells was widely dispersed throughout both venoms but more prominent in fraction 4. A V-beta receptor human T-cell repertoire was not species-specific for either crude or fractionated jellyfish nematocyst venom. (C) 2001 Elsevier science Inc. All rights reserved.