Title: Target switch of centipede toxins for antagonistic switch.
Author:Yang S, Wang Y, Wang L, Kamau P, Zhang H, Luo A, Lu X, Lai R.
Publication Name:Sci Adv
Pub Year: 2020
Doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb5734
IF:13.116
Abstract:
Animal venoms are powerful, highly evolved chemical weaponsfordefense and predation. While venoms are used mainly to lethally antagonize heterospecifics (individualsofa different species), nonlethal envenomationofconspecifics (individualsofthe same species) is occasionally observed. Both the venom andtargetspecifications underlying these two formsofenvenomation are still poorly understood. Here, we show atarget-switching mechanism incentipede(Scolopendra subspinipes) venom. On the basisofthis mechanism, a major toxin component [Ssm Spooky Toxin (SsTx)] incentipedevenom inhibits the Shal channel in conspecifics but not in heterospecifics to cause short-term, recoverable, and nonlethal envenomation. This same toxin causes fatal heterospecific envenomation,forexample, by switching itstargetto the Shaker channels in heterospecifics without inhibiting the Shaker channelofconspecific S. subspinipes individuals. These findings suggest that venom components exhibit intricate coevolution with their targets in both heterospecifics and conspecifics, which enables a single toxin to develop graded intraspecific and interspecificantagonisticinteractions.
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