Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies

The Glycoproteome of Loxosceles Venom Reveals an Expanded Landscape of Animal Toxins

This study identifies N-glycosylation in Loxosceles venoms, revealing molecular heterogeneity and carbohydrate epitopes in toxins.

Venom toxin genes are tandem-arrayed beyond gene-family-size expectations in four venomous bilaterian species

The paper examines the clustering of toxin genes in four venomous species and finds that toxin genes are tandem-arrayed beyond family-size expectations, with the excess mainly in homologous arrays.

The novel viper FETUA-3 protein evolved a unique mode of inhibiting snake venom metalloproteinases

This study investigates how the rattlesnake FETUA-3 protein evolved to inhibit venom metalloproteinases through structural and functional analyses.

Recombinant Echis disintegrins reveal distinct inhibitory profiles on platelet aggregation and endothelial cell migration

This study characterizes recombinant disintegrins from Echis species, showing distinct inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation and endothelial cell migration.

The genomic origins and evolutionary path to a key innovation in the world's most venomous snakes

This study traces the genomic origins of four procoagulant venom toxins in Australian snakes and identifies a fifth toxin, showing two distinct evolutionary paths for their development.

De novo designed single-domain antibodies protect against lethal cobra venom neurotoxicity in vivo

This study designs de novo single-domain antibodies against cobra neurotoxin and shows they protect mice from lethal venom toxicity.

Ontogenetic variation in composition and bioactivity of common adder (Vipera berus) venom revealed by genome-guided proteomics and in vitro functional assays

This study reveals age-related changes in the composition and bioactivity of Vipera berus venom, linking ontogenetic dietary shifts to venom phenotype and function.

Disintegrin-like and Cysteine-rich Domains Govern Enzymatic Activity and Substrate Recognition in Echis Snake Venom Metalloproteinases

This study investigates the roles of disintegrin-like and cysteine-rich domains in substrate recognition and catalytic activity of PIII snake venom metalloproteinases using recombinant variants and functional assays.

The metalloproteinase inhibitor Marimastat improves skeletal muscle regeneration when administered intravenously after myonecrosis induced by the venom of Bothrops asper

This study shows that Marimastat improves skeletal muscle regeneration and reduces fibrosis in mice after myonecrosis caused by Bothrops asper venom.

From Neuropeptides to Toxins: Illuminating the Origins of Venom Complexity in Cone Snails

The paper identifies how neuropeptide genes in cone snails evolved into toxins through mechanisms like exon shuffling and transposable element-driven recombination, revealing dynamic genome-molecular innovation interactions.

Divergent venoms among two closely related co-distributed centipede species, Scolopendra morsitans and S. hardwickei in tropical Asia

This study compares venom composition between two closely related centipede species in peninsular India, finding significant differences in toxin abundance and protein repertoires.

Natures Antivenom: Combinations of conserved rattlesnake serum metalloproteinase inhibitors block the lethal action of viper venoms

This study shows that combinations of rattlesnake metalloproteinase inhibitors can neutralize viper venom lethality more effectively than commercial antivenoms.

From diet to defense: serpin duplication and gene-expression evolution as putative contributors to poison-frog alkaloid sequestration

This study investigates the molecular mechanisms of alkaloid sequestration in poison frogs by analyzing serpin gene family evolution and liver gene expression.

Long-read transcriptomics highlights venom gland specialization and Inhibitor Cystine Knot (ICK) rich toxin diversity in Philippine tarantulas

The paper presents the first long-read transcriptomic analysis of venom glands in Philippine tarantulas, revealing ICK toxin diversity and transcriptional signatures of venom specialization.

Repurposed small molecule toxin inhibitors neutralise a diversity of venoms from the Neotropical viperid snake genus Bothrops

This study evaluates repurposed drugs against venoms from the Bothrops snake genus, finding that metalloproteinase inhibitors effectively neutralize multiple venom effects.

Snake Venom Fluidic Properties and Design of Venom Mimics as Rheological Surrogates

This study examines snake venom fluidic properties and develops non-toxic mimics to model venom flow for biomedical and evolutionary research.

Targeting Bothrops asper Venom Enzymes: Steroidal Derivatives as potential Inhibitors of Phospholipase A2, Serine proteinases, and metalloproteinases.

This study evaluates three ergosterol-derived compounds as inhibitors of key enzymes in Bothrops asper venom, showing dose-dependent inhibition of coagulant and phospholipase A2 activities.

Purified Zymogens Reveal Mechanisms of Snake Venom Metalloproteinase Auto-Activation

The paper develops a method to produce and activate purified snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) using recombinant zymogens, enabling detailed biochemical and functional analysis.

Pick Your Poison: Tetrodotoxin Variants Give Pacific Newts a Potential Leg Up in the Coevolutionary Arms Race with Resistant Garter Snake Predators

This study identifies diverse tetrodotoxin analogs in Pacific newts and shows some are more effective against resistant garter snake sodium channels.

Unlocking the venom vault: Museum venomics reveals an untapped biochemical archive in natural history collections

The paper profiles venoms from museum and fresh snake specimens, showing preserved samples yield reliable quantitative data and revealing new venom diversity patterns.

Antigenic Divergence of Cobra Short-chain α-Neurotoxins: Implications for Regional Antivenom Effectiveness in Southeast Asia

This study evaluates antivenom effectiveness against cobra short-chain α-neurotoxins (SNTXs) and identifies antigenic subtypes linked to regional antivenom performance in Southeast Asia.

Lineage-Specific Venom Gene Expression Shapes Chemical Diversity in Cephalopods

This study identifies a lineage-specific venom gene family in cephalopods, revealing its evolutionary origin, structural diversity, and glandular localization.

Conkazal-M1 from the MKAVA family of conotoxins - a dual-function protease inhibitor and neuroactive peptide

This study characterizes conkazal-M1, a conotoxin from Conus magus, showing it acts as both a protease inhibitor and a neuroactive peptide.

Establishment of snake venom gland organoids from a novel family, Colubridae

This study establishes venom gland organoids from Colubridae snakes and shows in vitro toxin production.

Neurotox: Deep learning decodes conserved hallmarks of neurotoxicity across venomous species

Neurotox identifies sequence-based neurotoxicity hallmarks across species using deep learning, showing structural changes correlate with loss of predicted neurotoxicity.

Paralysis Efficiency (ED50) Scales Linearly with Lethality (LD50) in Spider Venoms

The paper examines the relationship between LD50 and ED50 in spider venoms, finding a linear correlation suggesting paralysis efficiency and lethality are mechanistically linked.

How Ant Genomes Repeatedly Reinvent Venom

This study identifies three conserved genomic regions in ants as evolutionary hotspots for venom genes, revealing repeated recruitment to conserved platforms and diverse evolutionary dynamics.

Prey-specific toxins provide broad venom activity in cephalopods

The paper identifies prey-specific toxins in cephalopod venom, including neurotensin-mimicking peptides that target fish, revealing an evolutionary strategy for broad venom activity.

Axillary gland gene expression and potency reveal the nature of mimetic relationships in Corydoradinae catfishes

The paper assesses axillary gland toxicity and gene expression in two Corydoradinae catfish genera, finding similar toxin potency despite gene expression differences.

Microbiota discovered in scorpion venom

This study uses 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate bacterial presence in scorpion venom, finding microbial communities that differ between two scorpion species from distinct geographic regions.