Content area
Abstract
Venoms from spiders, snakes, cone snails and scorpions have evolved to produce a vast pharmacopoeia of toxins that modulate receptor or channel function as a means of producing shock, hemolysis, paralysis and pain. As such, venoms from these animals represent a rich potential source of potent and selective toxins that can be exploited to study and manipulate somatosensory and nociceptive signaling pathways. In this work, I have identified and characterized two novel toxins from the Brazilian lancehead pit viper (Bothrops moojeni) and Tanzania blue ringleg centipede (Scolopendra morsitans). The Brazilian lancehead snake venom contains a novel secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2)-like protein that can promote ATP release from pannexin hemichannels. Studies on the cellular and behavioral effects of this toxin reveal a role of regulated endogenous nucleotide release in nociception. The discovered Tanzania blue ringleg centipede toxin represents a new family of toxins that show evolutionary relationship with α-scorpion toxins and could potentially function as potassium channel blockers.