Activity Determinants in Linear Spider Venom Peptide Fragments Against MRSA

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  Activity Determinants in Linear Spider Venom Peptide Fragments Against MRSA Abstract Objective: Using neural networks, we previously identified linear fragments of spider venom peptides active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Among them, peptide IX (IWLSLMKFAGKHL-NH 2 ) with a C -terminal amide displayed high antibacterial potency, whereas its non-amidated analogue, peptide X, was inactive. Peptide IX incorporates into zwitterionic multilamellar liposomes of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) without disrupting them, and also into anionic liposomes of dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG) mimicking the MRSA cell membrane, leading to bilayer disruption. This study aims to elucidate the reasons for peptide X inactivation.  Methods: According to ¹H NMR spectroscopy, peptide X in water is governed by the ionization of the His12 residue. ³¹P NMR data show that peptide X interacts with DOPC and DOPG membranes. Monte Carlo simulations revealed conformati...

All genera of the world: Order Scorpiones (Animalia: Arthropoda: Arachnida)

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All genera of the world: Order Scorpiones (Animalia: Arthropoda: Arachnida)

Abstract

The present contribution provides a consensus classification of the arachnid Order Scorpiones C.L. Koch, 1850, and updates the counts of extant and extinct genera and species through the end of 2025. Including the revisions implemented herein, there are 459 genus-group names available in Scorpiones by the end of 2025. Of these, 318 refer to currently accepted extant genera (220), subfossil genera (1) and extinct genera (97). Fifty-four genus-group names are newly synonymized, raising to 145 the number in synonymy, whereas sixteen genus-group names are revalidated and/or newly elevated to the rank of genus. Including the revisions implemented herein, Scorpiones includes 3,089 currently accepted species-group names (2,918 extant species, 1 subfossil species, and 170 extinct species) and 22 nomina dubia. Forty-seven species-group names are newly synonymized, whereas 43 species-group names are revalidated and/or newly elevated to the rank of species. 197 (62%) of the currently accepted genus-group names were described since 1950. Despite this descriptive activity, the suprageneric phylogeny and classification of Recent scorpions remains in a state of flux and largely decoupled from the phylogeny and classification of fossil forms.

Prendini, L. (2026). All genera of the world: Order Scorpiones (Animalia: Arthropoda). Megataxa, 19(2), 270–378. https://doi.org/10.11646/megataxa.19.2.2