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...

Standardised inventories of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Macaronesia III: dry habitats of Cabo Verde Archipelago (São Vicente and Santo Antão)

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Standardised inventories of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Macaronesia III: dry habitats of Cabo Verde Archipelago (São Vicente and Santo Antão)

Background

With this publication, we contribute to the knowledge of the arachnofauna of Cabo Verde, focusing specifically on the Islands of Santo Antão and São Vicente. Data were obtained from samples collected as part of the project "Macaronesian Islands as a testing ground to assess biodiversity drivers at multiple scales" (FCT - MACDIV, 2015-2018). This project aimed to identify the factors influencing community assembly in Macaronesian islands. For the Cabo Verde Islands, we focused on dry habitats with the additional aim to revise the aracnofauna of this poorly-known fauna. We applied the COBRA (Conservation Oriented Biodiversity Rapid Assessment) sampling protocol in ten 50 m x 50 m dry shrub plots, with five on each of the two islands, using pitfall traps, sweep-netting and active search. Additional ad-hoc samples were also collected and reported.

Crespo LC, Cardoso P, Malumbres-Olarte J, Pereira F, Romeiras M, Ros-Prieto A, Rigal F, Borges PAV (2024) Standardised inventories of spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Macaronesia III: dry habitats of Cabo Verde Archipelago (São Vicente and Santo Antão). Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e115464. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e115464