Scorpion Venom Peptides: From Structural Scaffolds to Therapeutic Applications—A Focus on Antioxidant Mechanisms and Translational Perspectives

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  Scorpion Venom Peptides: From Structural Scaffolds to Therapeutic Applications—A Focus on Antioxidant Mechanisms and Translational Perspectives Abstract Scorpion venom peptides, with their stable disulfide backbone, compact structural framework, and highly selective regulation of ion channels, have long been regarded as important molecular probes in neuropharmacology. However, recent studies have revealed their potential for regulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and neuroprotection, making them a new research frontier. In this article, we focus on scorpion venom peptides as drugs, constructing an integrated knowledge framework from structural classification to clinical translation. First, scorpion venom peptides are systematically classified based on cysteine arrangement patterns and three-dimensional folding topology, and their structure–activity relationships are summarized. Based on this, the molecular mechanisms by which scorpion venom peptides regulate ion channels are ...

Predation by Pholcus spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) on tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

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Pet theraphosid spiders as prey of Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 in captivity in Poland.
1. Hapalopus formosus; 2. Monocentropus balfouri; 3. Caribena versicolor.

Predation by Pholcus spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) on tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

Synanthropic species of spiders – those that live in associationwith or benefit from humans and their environments – mayhunt various types of arthropods inside houses (Uhlenhaut, 2001).Among other taxa, numerous species of synantrhopic spiders preyon other spiders. This feeding behaviour is particularly common in spiders of the genus Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805, which havebeen observed preying on a variety of araneomorph spider taxa (Uhlenhaut, 2001; Sherwood, 2019). In Poland, the genus Pholcus is represented by three species (Nentwig et al., 2024).

Szymański, Dawid & Szymański, Dominik. (2025). Predation by Pholcus spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae) on tarantulas(Araneae: Theraphosidae). Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society 163: Summer 20225