Investigating the therapeutic role of Leuculectin, a C-type lectin from Bothrops leucurus snake venom, in corneal neovascularization

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  Investigating the therapeutic role of Leuculectin, a C-type lectin from Bothrops leucurus snake venom, in corneal neovascularization Abstract Pathological corneal neovascularization remains a major therapeutic challenge due to the limited efficacy and safety of currently available antiangiogenic treatments. Although C-type lectins from snake venom possess various biological activities, their potential to modulate pathological ocular angiogenesis has not been explored. This study investigated the antiangiogenic effects of Leuculectin, a C-type lectin isolated from Bothrops leucurus venom using an experimental model of corneal neovascularization (CNV), a HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cell) tube formation assay, and the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. In the HUVEC tube formation assay, Leuculectin demonstrated strong antiangiogenic activity. In the CAM assay, Leuculectin applied at concentrations of 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 μg/mL significantly decreased new ves...

Five new species of the trapdoor spider genus Latouchia Pocock, 1901 (Araneae, Halonoproctidae) from China

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Five new species of the trapdoor spider genus Latouchia Pocock, 1901 (Araneae, Halonoproctidae) from China

Abstract

Five new species of the trapdoor spider genus Latouchia Pocock, 1901 are described from southern China based on both morphological and molecular evidence: L. jihe sp. nov. (♂♀), L. wufeng sp. nov. (♂♀), L. wuhan sp. nov. (♂♀), L. yinggen sp. nov. (♂♀), and L. zhangping sp. nov. (♂♀). The male and female of L. jinyun Hao, Yu & Zhang, 2025 are also redescribed from specimens collected in Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, China, located over 100 km from the type locality in Chongqing Municipality. Species delimitation is supported by genetic distance analyses of the mitochondrial DNA barcode gene (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI), comparing the five new species with five previously described taxa. GenBank accession codes for the five new species and L. jinyun are provided to facilitate future identification and taxonomic research.

Xiong Y, Li D, Xu X (2025) Five new species of the trapdoor spider genus Latouchia Pocock, 1901 (Araneae, Halonoproctidae) from China. ZooKeys 1265: 103-127. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1265.175629