AI Article Synopsis
- The search for targeted insecticides is turning to spider venoms, which contain toxins evolved to selectively target insects.
- In 2003, researchers isolated a group of toxins from the spider Macrothele gigas and identified their amino acid sequences.
- One purified toxin, rMagi3, has shown to effectively target insects without harming mice, indicating its potential as a specific insecticide.
Article Abstract
The need for molecules with high specificity against noxious insects leads the search towards spider venoms that have evolved highly selective toxins for insect preys. In this respect, spiders as a highly diversified group of almost exclusive insect predators appear to possess infinite potential for the discovery of novel insect-selective toxins. In 2003, a group of toxins was isolated from the spider Macrothele gigas and the amino acid sequence was reported. We obtained, by molecular biology techniques in a heterologous system, one of these toxins. Purification process was optimized by chromatographic methods to determine the three-dimensional structure by nuclear magnetic resonance in solution, and, finally, their biological activity was tested. rMagi3 resulted to be a specific insect toxin with no effect on mice.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5818767 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pro.3363 | DOI Listing |
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