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

  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...

Seven new species of the enigmatic spider genus Paratropis Simon, 1889 (Mygalomorphae, Paratropididae) from Ecuador

 


Seven new species of the enigmatic spider genus Paratropis Simon, 1889 (Mygalomorphae, Paratropididae) from Ecuador

Abstract

Seven new species of the enigmatic spider family Paratropididae are described from Ecuador. All new species belong to the genus Paratropis: P. carcosita sp. nov. (♀), P. pukallucha sp. nov. (♀), P. esmeraldas sp. nov. (♀), P. kapak sp. nov. (♀), P. pasochoa sp. nov. (♀), P. arenosa sp. nov. (♀) and P. cryptica sp. nov. (♀). A distribution map of all newly described species is presented.

Dupérré, N. & Tapia, E. (2024c). Seven new species of the enigmatic spider genus Paratropis Simon, 1889 (Mygalomorphae, Paratropididae) from Ecuador. Zootaxa 5519(4): 451-486. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5519.4.1