The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides

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  The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides Abstract Mesobuthus martensii , the source species of the traditional Chinese medicine “Quanxie”, has long been utilized for its therapeutic properties. Venom peptides are recognized as the major active molecular basis of these pharmacological activities. Despite this, their development as therapeutic agents remains poorly explored. In this study, we performed an integrated multi-omics investigation to systematically explore the venom peptides of Mesobuthus martensii . We generated a chromosome-level genome assembly of Mesobuthus martensii using third-generation sequencing technologies, yielding a genome size of 1.08 Gb with a contig N50 of 46.46 Mb. Integrated genomic and transcriptomic analyses led to the identification of 51 putative novel venom peptide candidates. From the broader venom peptide set, five lysine- and arginine-rich candidates were select...

A new species related to Pardosa atrata (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Armenia makes the distribution range of the atrata group disjunctive

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A new species related to Pardosa atrata (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Armenia makes the distribution range of the atrata group disjunctive

Abstract

Species of wolf spiders considered in the Pardosa atrata group are surveyed, and comparative figures of all species included in the group are presented for the first time. A new species, P. armeniaca sp. nov., is described from the shore of Lake Sevan (Armenia) based on both sexes. Pardosa narymica Savelyeva, 1972 from East Kazakhstan Oblast’ is synonymized with the trans-Palaearctic P. atrata (Thorell, 1873). It was found that the record of P. atrata (sub P. lapponica) by Schenkel from British Columbia and reflected in the World Spider Catalog in fact refers to P. concinna (Thorell, 1877), a member of the P. lapponica group. The distribution of three species consideredin the atrata group are mapped. The discovery of P. armeniaca sp. nov. has led to a re-evaluation of the distribution range, previously thought to be continuous, now showing a disjunctive pattern.

Marusik YМ (2023) A new species related to Pardosa atrata (Araneae, Lycosidae) from Armenia makes the distribution range of the atrata group disjunctive. ZooKeys 1180: 225-235. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1180.111069