Report from the 29th Meeting on Toxinology, "Toxins: From the Wild to the Lab", Organized by the French Society of Toxinology on 30 November-1 December 2023.

The French Society of Toxinology (SFET), which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, organized its 29th annual Meeting (RT29), shared by 87 participants, on 30 November-1 December 2023. The RT29 main theme, "Toxins: From the Wild to the Lab", focused on research in the field of animal venoms and animal, bacterial, fungal, or plant toxins, from their discovery in nature to their study in the laboratory. The exploration of the functions of toxins, their structures, their molecular or cellular ligands, their mode of action, and their potential therapeutic applications were emphasized during oral communications and posters through three sessions, of which each was dedicated to a secondary theme.

Selective blockade of Ca1.2 (α1C) versus Ca1.3 (α1D) L-type calcium channels by the black mamba toxin calciseptine.

L-type voltage-gated calcium channels are involved in multiple physiological functions. Currently available antagonists do not discriminate between L-type channel isoforms. Importantly, no selective blocker is available to dissect the role of L-type isoforms Ca1.

Report from the 28th Meeting on Toxinology, "Toxins: What's up, Doc?", Organized by the French Society of Toxinology on 28-29 November 2022.

The French Society of Toxinology (SFET) organized its 28th annual meeting on 28-29 November 2022 (RT28). The central theme of this meeting was "Toxins: What's up, Doc?", emphasizing the latest findings on animal, bacterial, algal, plant and fungal toxins through sessions dedicated to deep learning, toxin tracking and toxinomic advances, shared by ca. 80 participants.

Mechanisms of Action of the Peptide Toxins Targeting Human and Rodent Acid-Sensing Ion Channels and Relevance to Their In Vivo Analgesic Effects.

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are voltage-independent H-gated cation channels largely expressed in the nervous system of rodents and humans. At least six isoforms (ASIC1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3 and 4) associate into homotrimers or heterotrimers to form functional channels with highly pH-dependent gating properties. This review provides an update on the pharmacological profiles of animal peptide toxins targeting ASICs, including PcTx1 from tarantula and related spider toxins, APETx2 and APETx-like peptides from sea anemone, and mambalgin from snake, as well as the dimeric protein snake toxin MitTx that have all been instrumental to understanding the structure and the pH-dependent gating of rodent and human cloned ASICs and to study the physiological and pathological roles of native ASICs in vitro and in vivo.

Report from the 27th (Virtual) Meeting on Toxinology, "Toxins: Mr Hyde or Dr Jekyll?", Organized by the French Society of Toxinology, 9-10 December 2021.

The French Society of Toxinology (SFET) organized its 27th annual meeting on 9-10 December 2021 as a virtual meeting (e-RT27). The central theme of this meeting was "Toxins: Mr Hyde or Dr Jekyll?", emphasizing the latest findings on plant, fungal, algal, animal and bacterial toxins during 10 lectures, 15 oral communications (shorter lectures) and 20 posters shared by ca. 80 participants.