Molecular Recognition and Immunopharmacological Implications of Serratiopeptidase Targeting Snake Venom Bradykinin-Potentiating Peptides

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  Molecular Recognition and Immunopharmacological Implications of Serratiopeptidase Targeting Snake Venom Bradykinin-Potentiating Peptides Abstract Purpose Bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs), found in snake venom, are known to modulate cardiovascular functions, but their susceptibility to enzymatic degradation remains poorly understood. Methods Models were generated using AlphaFold-Colab for five small BPPs (< 9 amino acids) that did not have experimentally solved structures, and those BPPs which had reliable predictions of structure (pLDDT > 80) were used for docking studies. Protein-peptide docking experiments were done using HADDOCK for studying the interaction between wild-type (WT) and mutant serratiopeptidase with BPPs. After selecting the best complex, simulation of the complex was done using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for 100 ns and binding energy determination using MM/PBSA analysis. For checking the mechanical stability of the protein-peptide complexes...

Revision of the Peruvian tarantula Homoeomma peruvianum (Chamberlin, 1916): description of a new genus with eleven new species and insights to the evolution of montane tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae)

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 Revision of the Peruvian tarantula Homoeomma peruvianum (Chamberlin, 1916): description of a new genus with eleven new species and insights to the evolution of montane tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae)

Abstract

The Peruvian tarantula Homoeomma peruvianum (Chamberlin, 1916) is revised. As the type specimens do not fit the diagnostic characters of Homoeomma Ausserer, 1871, especially because of the different palpal bulb morphology in males and the shape of spermathecae in females, H. peruvianum (Chamberlin, 1916) was transferred into the newly established genus Urupelma gen. n., which is herein described, diagnosed and illustrated. Eleven new species of Urupelma gen. n. (U. sanctitheresae sp. n., U. sanctimariae sp. n., U. awanqay sp. n., U. ashaninka sp. n., U. atarraz sp. n., U. megantonianum sp. n., U. machiguenga sp. n., U. pampas sp. n., U. johannae sp. n., U. veronicae sp. n., and U. dianae sp. n.) are herein described, diagnosed and illustrated. The monophyly of Urupelma gen. n. is supported by a molecular phylogenetic analysis focused on the tarantulas with urticating setae of type III and III+IV and based on three genes: the nuclear 18S and 28S, and the mitochondrial COI gene. Apart from the support of the new genus and some existing valid genera, the molecular phylogeny also sheds light on the dynamic evolutionary history behind the adaption to high montane environments in tarantulas.

Radan Kaderka, Tim Lüddecke, Milan Řezáč, Veronika Řezáčová & Martin Hüsser (2023) Revision of the Peruvian tarantula Homoeomma peruvianum (Chamberlin, 1916): description of a new genus with eleven new species and insights to the evolution of montane tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Theraphosinae), Journal of Natural History, 57:41-44, 1710-1824, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2023.2265621