Differential Hematotoxic Activity of Southeast Asian Pit Viper Venoms: The Cross-Neutralizing Effect of Available Antivenoms

Posted by
  Image Credit: Creative Commons (some rights reserved) CC BY-NC Photo 111998430, (c) Nicholas Hess Differential Hematotoxic Activity of Southeast Asian Pit Viper Venoms: The Cross-Neutralizing Effect of Available Antivenoms Abstract Background/Objectives : Pit vipers (subfamily Crotalinae) are responsible for a large proportion of snakebite envenoming cases in Southeast Asia. Envenomation by these snakes commonly causes hematotoxic effects, including platelet dysfunction and coagulation disturbances. Although antivenom remains the mainstay of treatment, species-specific antivenoms are not available for several regional pit viper species. This study evaluated the hematotoxic activities of selected Southeast Asian pit viper venoms and the cross-neutralizing capacity of commercially available antivenoms.  Methods : Venoms from five medically important pit viper species— Calloselasma rhodostoma ,  Trimeresurus albolabris ,  T. hageni ,  T. purpureomaculatus , ...

Acetylcholine-binding protein 5 regulates extracellular apoptosis in the wolf spider as a sacrificial ROS scavenger

Posted by

 

Acetylcholine-binding protein 5 regulates extracellular apoptosis in the wolf spider as a sacrificial ROS scavenger

Abstract

Apoptosis is regulated by a conserved gene network across species for maintaining homeostasis and stress response. While intracellular apoptotic pathways are well characterized, the extracellular mechanisms governing apoptosis remain largely unexplored, probably due to divergence in species-specific gene sets involved in extracellular regulation. Here, we uncover a novel extracellular apoptotic mechanism mediated by acetylcholine-binding protein 5 (AChBP5) in the wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata. AChBP5 is highly expressed in the spider fat-body (midgut diverticula), while other four AChBP genes are abundantly expressed in the tissue brain. Among five AChBP genes, only AChBP5 exhibited broad transcriptional induction upon exposure to various insecticides, including neonicotinoids and other classes. AChBP5 expression was also upregulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) including H2O2, key triggers of apoptosis. Functional assays demonstrated that, in cultured cells, AChBP5 acted as an extracellular sacrifice buffer against oxidative stress to maintain cell viability, becoming progressively inactivated by ROS in a concentration-dependent manner. RNAi-mediated silencing of AChBP5 significantly increased spider susceptibility to both-induced and direct oxidative stress, underscoring its critical protective function. Collectively, these findings support a model in which lineage-specific genes, AChBP5 may contribute to extracellular modulation of apoptosis and provide a mechanism by which spiders could respond to chemical stressors.
Zhang, H., Wang, J., Tan, Y., Zhang, J., Shi, C., Hu, T., Wang, K., & Liu, Z. (2026). Acetylcholine-binding protein 5 regulates extracellular apoptosis in the wolf spider as a sacrificial ROS scavenger. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 219, 107001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2026.107001