Not so Dangerous After All? Venom Composition and Potency of the Pholcid (Daddy Long-Leg) Spider Physocyclus mexicanus.

ABSTRACT: Pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae), officially "cellar spiders" but popularly known as "daddy long-legs," are renown for the potential of deadly toxic venom, even though venom composition and potency has never formally been studied. Here we detail the venom composition of male Physocyclus mexicanus using proteomic analyses and venom-gland transcriptomes ("venomics"). We also analyze the venom's potency on insects, and assemble available evidence regarding mammalian toxicity. The majority of the venom (51% of tryptic polypeptides and 62% of unique tryptic peptides) consists of proteins homologous to known venom toxins including enzymes (astacin metalloproteases, serine proteases and metalloendopeptidases, particularly neprilysins) and venom peptide neurotoxins. We identify 17 new g

SUBMITTER: Zobel-Thropp PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7682650 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature