Spider venom: enhancement of venom efficacy mediated by different synergistic strategies in Cupiennius salei

Abstract

Besides the power of the chelicerae, synergistic interactions between different components in the venom of Cupiennius salei ensure the hunting success of this spider. The main components of the venom were tested alone or in combination according to their physiological venom concentrations in Drosophila bioassays. The high K + ion content of the venom synergistically increases the insecticidal activity of the neurotoxins CSTX-1, CSTX-9 and CSTX-13 by 20% but does not influence the insecticidal effectiveness of the antimicrobially and cytolytically acting cupiennin 1a. Histamine only enhances the activity of the main neurotoxin CSTX-1. An important role in the envenomation process is exhibited by cupiennin 1a, which increases the insecticidal activity of the abovementioned neurotoxins by up to 65%. Additionally, the highly synergistic effect of the enhancer CSTX-13 on CSTX-1, provoked in non-toxic physiological concentrations, could be verified for CSTX-9, but not for cupiennin 1a. CSTX-1 and CSTX-9 show positive interactions only when both are injected in toxic nonphysiological concentrations.

Cupiennin 1a exhibits a remarkably broad, non-stereospecific cytolytic activity on bacteria, protozoan parasites, insects, and human cancer cells

“…Here, 29-h-old erythrocytes (*1.7 9 10 8 cells/ml) were preincubated for 10 min at 25°C with different concentrations of tri-or penta-lysine. After incubation with 2.5 lM L-Cu1a for 1 h at 37°C haemolytic activity was measured as change in the absorbance at 541 nm Wullschleger et al 2005). In the case of insects, muscle cells as well as nerves are encircled by basement membranes rich in acidic proteins such as glutactin and papilin; glia cells are enriched with negatively charged arthrosides (Kramerova et al 2000;Olson et al 1990;Sickmann et al 1992).…”

“…These a-helical peptides are highly cationic and exhibit strong cytolytic activities towards different prokaryotic cells and human erythrocytes (Kuhn-Nentwig et al 2002b). A dual role is proposed for cupiennins in that: (1) due to their cytolytic activity they synergistically enhance the activity of neurotoxins and other venom peptides Wullschleger et al 2004Wullschleger et al , 2005 and (2) they protect chelicerae and venom glands against microbial infections (Kuhn-Nentwig 2003). The best investigated cytolytic peptide, cupiennin 1a, is characterised by a helix-hinge-helix structure (Pukala et al 2007a), comparable to the structure of latarcin 2a (M-zodatoxin-Lt2a), a cytolytic peptide isolated from the venom of the central Asian spider Lachesana tarabaevi (Zodariidae) (Kozlov et al 2006).…”

In vitro antibacterial effect of wasp (Vespa orientalis) venom

“…Venoms of a vast number of animal species represent complex mixtures of compounds (ions, biogenic amines, polyamines, polypeptide neurotoxins, cytolytic peptides, enzymes etc.) responsible for various effects [12-15]. Venoms can also be useful and valuable as pharmacological tools in drug research, as potential drug design templates and as therapeutic agents [16,17].…”

What Hydra can teach us about chemical ecology how a simple, soft organism survives in a hostile aqueous environment

“…1 B,C; Lotan et al, 1995;Lotan et al, 1996), and are a good example of a protein scaffold that has been recruited multiple times into venom systems (Fry et al, 2009 HMP3-Hma2.228615, SCP-ShK -Hma2.204028, ShKCLec -Hma2.206417, HMP1 -Hma2.217198, HMP2 -Hma2.214401, HMP4 -Hma2.228188. neural tissue, or by affecting many critical systems in parallel (Gutierrez et al, 2010, Wullschleger et al, 2005.…”