The Role of the Southeastern European Mountains as Cradles and Corridors of European Biodiversity: Insights From Agelenid Spiders

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  The Role of the Southeastern European Mountains as Cradles and Corridors of European Biodiversity: Insights From Agelenid Spiders ABSTRACT Aim The Southeastern European Mountain System (SEEMS) is a well-known glacial refugium for European fauna. Bridging the Mediterranean and Caucasus biodiversity hotspots, it is a melting point for diverse faunal elements, but also a center of origin and subsequent dispersal of a unique component of European biodiversity. Here, we tested the hypothesis of the Southeastern European origin of the agelenid spider genera Inermocoelotes and Urocoras by investigating their phylogeny and biogeography. Location Southeastern Europe (the Balkans, Carpathians, Dinarides), Central/Western Europe, and the Mediterranean basin. Taxon Funnel-web spiders, the genera Inermocoelotes and Urocoras (Araneae: Agelenidae: Coelotinae). Methods We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses, divergence time estimation, and ancestral area reconstruction. To investigate ...

Investigating the Influence of Hepatic Neoplasms on Bothrops Venom Biochemistry

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Investigating the Influence of Hepatic Neoplasms on Bothrops Venom Biochemistry

Abstract

Snake envenoming is a relevant public health issue, especially in tropical regions worldwide. Bothrops venom is essential for antivenom production in Brazil; however, the impacts of hepatic neoplasms on venom composition remain unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate whether hepatic neoplasms and/or cysts influence the biochemical profile and enzymatic activity of venoms from five Bothrops species. Venoms from 17 snakes — 8 with hepatic alterations and 9 healthy — were analyzed using SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, ELISA, RP-HPLC, and enzymatic activity assays. The results revealed high intra- and interspecific variability, with no consistent pattern linking the presence of neoplasms to significant changes in venom protein composition or enzymatic activities. Occasional differences were observed in proteolytic, phospholipase A2, L-amino acid oxidase activities and Minimum Coagulant Dose in some individuals; however, these were not directly attributable to hepatic pathology. Immunoreactivity with the commercial antibothropic antivenom remained effective in all samples. The study concludes that hepatic neoplasms or cysts do not compromise venom biochemical integrity for antivenom production, reinforcing the viability of using these individuals for venom extraction in captivity for public health purposes.
Vespasiano, C. T., Serino-Silva, C., Machado Silveira, G. P., Rodrigues, F. S., Rameh-de-Albuquerque, L. C., Sant'anna, S. S., Grego, K. F., & Tanaka-Azevedo, A. M. (2025). Investigating the Influence of Hepatic Neoplasms on Bothrops Venom Biochemistry. Toxicon, 108561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2025.108561