A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation?

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  A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation? Abstract Pseudoscorpions are well known for phoretic associations with arthropods, but interactions with amphibians are rarely documented. Here we report a pseudoscorpion attached to the left palpebral region of an adult male Italian cave salamander, Speleomantes italicus , observed during a visual survey in a karst cave in Tuscany, Italy. The pseudoscorpion, assigned on the basis of visible morphology and locality to Chthonius cf. elongatus , was grasping a minute cutaneous fold on the lower margin of the left upper eyelid with one chela while the salamander moved slowly over the rock surface. No handling was performed and the initial contact between the two animals was not observed. The event therefore cannot be interpreted unambiguously, but may represent opportunistic phoresy or defensive attachment following a failed predation attempt. To our knowledge, this is the first published observation of a ...

Molecular engineering of Komagataella phaffii for venom toxin production

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Molecular engineering of Komagataella phaffii for venom toxin production

Abstract

Animal venoms constitute a rich source of bioactive peptides and proteins with high target specificity, representing valuable scaffolds for therapeutic development. However, the biotechnological exploitation of venom-derived toxins is limited by challenges in achieving efficient, scalable, and reproducible production. Native venom extraction is constrained by low yields and biological variability, making recombinant platforms essential. Yet, most venom toxins are cysteine-rich peptides with complex disulfide bond architectures and stringent structure–function relationships, posing significant challenges to heterologous expression. Inefficient folding, proteolysis, and secretion bottlenecks frequently compromise functional yield. Among microbial hosts, Komagataella phaffii has emerged as a robust system combining eukaryotic protein processing with high cell-density fermentation and cost-effective cultivation. Its oxidative secretory pathway, strong and regulatable promoters, and suitability for strain engineering make it particularly attractive for producing disulfide-rich toxins. This review provides a critical analysis of recombinant venom toxin production in K. phaffii, focusing on molecular and bioprocess determinants of expression performance. We discuss post-translational modifications, yields, and bioactivity, as well as promoter selection and secretion signal optimization. By integrating data across toxin families, we identify recurring technical bottlenecks and highlight engineering approaches to enhance venom biomanufacturing within microbial biotechnology frameworks.

Cordeiro, F.A., Bordon, K.d.C.F., Covali-Pontes, H.R. et al. Molecular engineering of Komagataella phaffii for venom toxin production. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-026-13850-w