Spider venoms are a multicomponent mixture
of polypeptides that contain a diverse array of structure and function that is
used for both the immobilization of prey as well as a defense mechanism. To
date, the venom composition of less than 100 of the nearly 40,000 characterized
species of spiders has been investigated. Although certain venom protein
families are highly conserved across spider taxa, there are several instances
of novel taxa-specific venom proteins, such as latrotoxins in Latrodectus,
Sphyngomyelinase D in Loxosceles, and μ-ctenitoxin-Pn1a in Phoneutria. Spidervenom has been shown to have several therapeutic applications due to the vastarray of biological functionality such as neurotoxic, antimicrobial,
antiparasitic, cytolytic, hemolytic, and antiarrhythmic activities; it is thus
likely that undiscovered peptides of novel importance are likely to be found in
previously unexplored venoms.
Spiders in the Ctenidae family, a group
containing nearly 500 species in 42 genera that range mostly in tropical
terrains, is home to the most venomous spider in the world Phoneutrianigriventer, and a nonlethal spider that has become the model species for
arachnological studies on evolution and development Cuppienius salei; both of
which are South American spiders whose venom has been highly studied.
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