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 ...

Accessing the challenges of descriptive morphology in Barychelidae and Theraphosidae through a morphometric approach (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)

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Accessing the challenges of descriptive morphology in Barychelidae and Theraphosidae through a morphometric approach (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)

Abstract

Phylogenetic studies have confirmed that Barychelidae is a sister group of Theraphosidae. However, taxonomic instability has led to the transfer of genera between the two families, both families show overlapping diagnostic characteristics, indicating a similarity making species differentiation challenging. In this study, we conducted an evaluation of three morphological characters that are commonly used to distinguish Barychelidae and Theraphosidae. We employed geometric morphometric to analyze variations in the shapes of the maxilla, labium, and the eyes arrangement. Our results revealed that these characters show continuous variation, which can make it problematic for discrete categorization and differentiation between Barychelidae and Theraphosidae. On the other hand, our analysis showed that the shape of the eye arrangement is effective in distinguishing the subfamilies within Barychelidae. Furthermore, we found notable distinctions between these characters on the Neotropical Sasoninae genera compared to the Sason Simon, 1887. Therefore, highlights the importance of incorporation of morphometric analyses into taxonomic and cladistics studies to improve the understanding of distinctions between families that are considered as sister groups.

Hector M. O. GONZALEZ-FILHO, Maria T. COLPANI-SARTORI, Arthur GALLETI-LIMA et al. Accessing the challenges of descriptive morphology in Barychelidae and Theraphosidae through a morphometric approach (Araneae, Mygalomorphae), 30 January 2026, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8385809/v1]