An Overlooked Species of Enigmatic Wolf Spider (Araneae: Lycosidae) Clarifies the Mysterious Distribution of its Sibling

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  An Overlooked Species of Enigmatic Wolf Spider (Araneae: Lycosidae) Clarifies the Mysterious Distribution of its Sibling Abstract Several wolf spiders exhibit a peculiar geographical distribution. One good example of this is Pardosa aenigmatica Tongiorgi, 1966, recently recognized in Italy and the Middle East but missing in the Balkans. A comparison of populations from the disjunctive areas revealed that they would be better described as two distinct species. As a result, here we describe Pardosa sepidehae sp. nov. The paper includes detailed descriptions and comparative illustrations of male and female copulatory organs for the newly discovered species and P. aenigmatica. Pardosa sepidehae sp. nov. is distributed in the Middle East, whereas P. aenigmatica remains endemic to the Apennine Peninsula. Adile Akpinar, Petr Dolejš "An Overlooked Species of Enigmatic Wolf Spider (Araneae: Lycosidae) Clarifies the Mysterious Distribution of its Sibling," Annales Zoologici, 76(29), ...

Spider Venom Peptides as Potential Allosteric Inhibitors of Undecaprenyl Diphosphatase (UppP) from Acinetobacter baumannii: In Silico Identification and Structural Analysis

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Spider Venom Peptides as Potential Allosteric Inhibitors of Undecaprenyl Diphosphatase (UppP) from Acinetobacter baumannii: In Silico Identification and Structural Analysis

Abstract

The antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii necessitates the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting essential enzymes such as Undecaprenyl Pyrophosphate Phosphatase (UppP). This study explored spider venom peptides in silico as potential allosteric inhibitors of A. baumannii UppP. A systematic literature review was conducted to select eight α-helical peptides with reported anti-A. baumannii activity, followed by their computational physicochemical characterization. Three-dimensional models of A. baumannii UppP and the candidate peptides were generated, and a putative allosteric binding site was validated through molecular docking of a known inhibitor of the BacA homolog. The eight peptides were subsequently docked to this validated site using HADDOCK. Results revealed variable binding affinities; peptides LC-AMP-I1, Lycosin-II, and GK37 exhibited the most favorable HADDOCK scores and extensive interaction networks, consistent with their reported high antimicrobial potency. Other candidates, notably Lt-MAP2, showed low binding affinity but high predicted synergistic potential. These findings identify promising spider venom peptide candidates, suggesting dual (membrane disruption/UppP inhibition) or synergistic mechanisms of action, and validate UppP as a viable pharmacological target for peptide-based inhibitors.

Liscano, Y., Álvarez-Caballero, J. M., & Aragón-Muriel, A. (2026). Spider Venom Peptides as Potential Allosteric Inhibitors of Undecaprenyl Diphosphatase (UppP) from Acinetobacter baumannii: In Silico Identification and Structural Analysis. Toxins, 18(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins18050210