New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby

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  New Publication: Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby I am pleased to share the publication of my latest paper, “Hybridisation in the Tarantula Hobby: Ethical Boundaries and Biological Consequences,” in the Journal of the British Tarantula Society , Volume 41, No. 1, September 2026. The paper addresses an issue that deserves serious consideration within the tarantula community: hybridisation and its potential long-term effects on the integrity of captive lineages. More Than a Breeding Decision The tarantula hobby has changed considerably over the past several decades. What was once a relatively small community has grown into an international network of keepers, breeders, vendors, researchers, and societies. Captive breeding has contributed enormously to that growth, improving husbandry knowledge and increasing the availability of captive-bred animals. With that success comes responsibility for the lineages we maintain. Hybridisation may seem like an isolated breeding experiment,...

Discovery of a Novel Antithrombotic Cystine Knot Peptide from Spider Venom Gland Transcriptome

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Discovery of a Novel Antithrombotic Cystine Knot Peptide from Spider Venom Gland Transcriptome

Abstract

The development of effective anticoagulants remains a critical need in modern medicine, particularly for preventing and treating thromboembolic disorders, such as arterial thrombosis and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), as well as complications like ischemic stroke. This study identifies a cysteine-knotted peptide GC38 (sequence: GCSGKGARCAPSKCCSGLSCGRHGGNMYKSCEWNWKTG) derived from the venom gland transcriptome of the Macrothele sp. spider, which exerts thrombus-inhibitory effects by potentiating activated protein C (APC) activity. In vitro assays reveal that GC38 enhances APC activity, prolongs plasma clotting time, and shows no significant cytotoxicity or hemolytic activity. Mechanistically, GC38 interacts allosterically with APC; biolayer interferometry (BLI) confirms this direct interaction, with a dissociation constant KD of 6.16 μM. Additionally, three in vivo thrombosis models (FeCl3-induced arterial occlusion, stasis-induced DVT, and cortical photothrombotic stroke) consistently demonstrated that GC38 was effective in alleviating thrombus formation, with tail-bleeding assays confirming its low hemorrhagic risk. Collectively, our findings position GC38 as a pioneering spider venom-derived lead molecule that addresses dual arterial and venous antithrombotic actions. This opens new avenues for developing spider venom-derived peptides as therapeutic agents targeting intravascular coagulation in arteries and veins.

Gao, J., Yang, D., Wang, W., Huang, X., Guo, R., Cao, K., Lu, Q., Wang, Z., Lai, R., & Li, J. (2025). Discovery of a Novel Antithrombotic Cystine Knot Peptide from Spider Venom Gland Transcriptome. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(20), 10154. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262010154