The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides

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  The chromosome-level genome of Mesobuthus martensii provides insights into its evolution and the diversity of venom peptides Abstract Mesobuthus martensii , the source species of the traditional Chinese medicine “Quanxie”, has long been utilized for its therapeutic properties. Venom peptides are recognized as the major active molecular basis of these pharmacological activities. Despite this, their development as therapeutic agents remains poorly explored. In this study, we performed an integrated multi-omics investigation to systematically explore the venom peptides of Mesobuthus martensii . We generated a chromosome-level genome assembly of Mesobuthus martensii using third-generation sequencing technologies, yielding a genome size of 1.08 Gb with a contig N50 of 46.46 Mb. Integrated genomic and transcriptomic analyses led to the identification of 51 putative novel venom peptide candidates. From the broader venom peptide set, five lysine- and arginine-rich candidates were select...

Revealing new species within a species complex of Nemesia Audouin, 1826 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae) trapdoor spiders from Andalusia (Spain)

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Revealing new species within a species complex of  Nemesia  Audouin, 1826 (Araneae, Mygalomorphae) trapdoor spiders from Andalusia (Spain)

Four new species of the Nemesia dorthesi group , morphologically similar to Nemesia shenlongi Pertegal, García, Molero-Baltanás & Knapp, 2022, from Andalusia (Spain), are described on the basis of various aspects such as morphology, burrow architecture, behavior and habitus: Nemesia eira n. sp. from the province of Cadiz, N. gajui n. sp. from the municipality of Cordoba, N. socohina n. sp. from Guadalcázar, Cordoba, and N. ripolli n. sp. from Cártama, Málaga. In addition to traditional diagnostic characteristics, this study analyzes the dispersal capacity, distribution, and taxonomic status of the nominate species N. ariasi Simon, 1914 from Morocco and N. macrocephala occidentalis Frade & Bacelar, 1931 from Guadalajara and Valencia, Spain.