A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species

Posted by
  A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species Abstract The ability to adhere to surfaces is particularly relevant for cursorial predatory arthropods like hunting spiders, which often traverse relatively complex environments characterized by large variation in substrate properties. Here, we evaluated the adhesive performance of six hunting spider species that are common in eastern temperate North America and lack specialized tarsi for climbing smooth or inclined surfaces [Lycosidae: Pardosa lapidicina Emerton, 1885 and Rabidosa rabida (Walckenaer, 1837); Oxyopidae: Oxyopes salticus Hentz, 1845; Pisauridae: Pisaurina mira (Walckenaer, 1837); Dolomedidae: Dolomedes triton (Walckenaer, 1837), and Dolomedes scriptus Hentz, 1845]. We tested adhesion performance as shear load resistance (g) on a glass plate, and as the angle of failure (°) when the plate was gradually inclined relative to horizontal. Average angle of failure and shear resistance differed among ...

C-Terminal Modification Contributes the Antibacterial Activity of a Cecropin-like Region of Heteroscorpine-1 from Scorpion Venom

Posted by

 


C-Terminal Modification Contributes the Antibacterial Activity of a Cecropin-like Region of Heteroscorpine-1 from Scorpion Venom

Abstract

The rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens has become a serious health concern, creating an urgent need for novel therapeutic approaches. Among the compounds explored, AMPs have emerged as promising candidates due to their broad-spectrum activity and low propensity for resistance development. However, their clinical implementation is limited by improper size, in vivo instability, and toxicity. Here, we designed short analogs of CeHS-1 via (1) truncation of intact CeHS-1, (2) amino acid substitution, (3) end-tagging, and (4) C-terminal amidation. The results showed that short analogs fused with an RWW stretch exhibited stronger antibacterial activity than the parent analogs, without inducing hemolysis in human red blood cells. Among the tested AMPs, mechanistic studies revealed membrane-disruptive activity of certain peptides against Staphylococcus aureus. In silico analyses also suggested that the analogs bind DNA by aligning parallel to its grooves, where the RWW stretch is believed to contribute to interactions between arginine and tryptophan residues and nitrogenous bases through electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. The short CeHS-1 analogs established here may serve as potential alternative antimicrobial agents, which should be tested in clinical trials in the future.

Saengkun Y, Klamrak A, Janpan P, Rahman SS, Erviana R, Puangmalai N, Jangpromma N, Daduang J, Daduang S, Areemit J. C-Terminal Modification Contributes the Antibacterial Activity of a Cecropin-like Region of Heteroscorpine-1 from Scorpion Venom. Biology. 2025; 14(8):1044. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14081044