Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider

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  Sex Role–Dependent Behavioral and Architectural Divergence in a Jumping Spider ABSTRACT Sex differences in behavior and functional traits are often attributed to differences in mating effort intensity, but the role of sex-specific parental demands remains poorly understood. Using the jumping spider Toxeus maxillosus —where males engage in mate searching and courtship without providing parental care, while females provide extended maternal care from egg attendance to offspring maturity (around 3 months)—we conducted an exploratory investigation into whether these distinct selective pressures led to divergence in spatial behaviors and nest architecture. Results revealed that males and females showed equivalent accuracy, latency, and learning-related performance in both a route-planning test under water stress and a color-pattern associative memory task. In contrast, during nest-construction assays, females built complex, multi-entrance structures that closely matched the container'...

A Hydrolase-Rich Venom Beyond Neurotoxins: Integrative Functional Proteomic and Immunoreactivity Analyses Reveal Novel Peptides in the Amazonian Scorpion Brotheas amazonicus

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A Hydrolase-Rich Venom Beyond Neurotoxins: Integrative Functional Proteomic and Immunoreactivity Analyses Reveal Novel Peptides in the Amazonian Scorpion Brotheas amazonicus

Abstract

The scorpion family Buthidae, renowned for its neurotoxin-rich venoms, dominates toxinology, while non-buthid venoms remain largely unexplored. Here, we present a comprehensive proteomic and biochemical characterization of the Amazonian chactid scorpion Brotheas amazonicus venom (BamazV), with emphasis on molecular complexity, proteolytic processing, and peptide diversity. Using an integrative venomics approach that combines molecular mass-based fractionation, reversed-phase chromatography, high-resolution mass spectrometry, N-terminal sequencing, and functional and immunological analyses, we reveal an unexpectedly complex venom profile enriched in high-molecular-weight components and extensively processed peptides, with more than 40 venom peptides sequenced by MS/MS and Edman degradation. The data provide evidence for non-canonical proteolytic events, including the generation of peptides from precursor regions not classically associated with mature venom components. In contrast to the venom of Tityus serrulatus, BamazV displays a “hydrolase-rich, neurotoxin-poor” profile, featuring a catalytically active Group III phospholipase A2 (BamazPLA2), a highly active hyaluronidase, metalloproteases, low-mass peptides, and potassium channel toxins. Our results suggest a hydrolytic prey-subjugation strategy, and limited cross-reactivity with commercial antivenom highlighted its distinct structural landscape. Overall, this study advances the understanding of venom evolution and proteolytic diversification in underexplored scorpion lineages, positioning B. amazonicus as a valuable model for investigating alternative venom strategies and identifying novel biotechnological scaffolds.

Wiezel, G. A., Bordon, K. D., Martins, J. G., Custódio, V. I., Matsuno, A. K., Procópio, R. E., & Arantes, E. C. (2026). A Hydrolase-Rich Venom Beyond Neurotoxins: Integrative Functional Proteomic and Immunoreactivity Analyses Reveal Novel Peptides in the Amazonian Scorpion Brotheas amazonicus. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(3), 1475. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27031475