A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species

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  A comparison of adhesive performance among six cursorial spider species Abstract The ability to adhere to surfaces is particularly relevant for cursorial predatory arthropods like hunting spiders, which often traverse relatively complex environments characterized by large variation in substrate properties. Here, we evaluated the adhesive performance of six hunting spider species that are common in eastern temperate North America and lack specialized tarsi for climbing smooth or inclined surfaces [Lycosidae: Pardosa lapidicina Emerton, 1885 and Rabidosa rabida (Walckenaer, 1837); Oxyopidae: Oxyopes salticus Hentz, 1845; Pisauridae: Pisaurina mira (Walckenaer, 1837); Dolomedidae: Dolomedes triton (Walckenaer, 1837), and Dolomedes scriptus Hentz, 1845]. We tested adhesion performance as shear load resistance (g) on a glass plate, and as the angle of failure (°) when the plate was gradually inclined relative to horizontal. Average angle of failure and shear resistance differed among ...

Broad-Spectrum Antiviral and Antibacterial Activity of the Scorpion Venom Peptide HP1090

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Broad-Spectrum Antiviral and Antibacterial Activity of the Scorpion Venom Peptide HP1090

Abstract

HP1090 is a short, cationic, amphipathic peptide derived from scorpion venom and previously described as a membrane-active antiviral compound. Here, we primarily characterize the antiviral activity of HP1090 and assess whether additional antibacterial effects are consistent with membrane-disruptive properties. Chemically synthesized HP1090 exhibited dose-dependent virucidal activity against multiple enveloped viruses, including herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (HSV-1, HSV-2), human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and Zika virus (ZIKV), with IC50 values ranging from 14.7 to 56.1 µg/mL. No activity was observed against the non-enveloped human rhinovirus 14 (HRV14), suggesting strict dependence on a viral lipid envelope. Consistent with a membrane-targeting mechanism, HP1090 induced rapid and concentration-dependent permeabilization of virus-like liposomes. HP1090 also displayed antibacterial activity against selected clinically relevant pathogens in agar-based growth inhibition assays. However, antibacterial effects required substantially higher concentrations (>125 µg/mL) and varied between bacterial species, with some strains showing little or no susceptibility. Membrane permeabilization assays in Listeria monocytogenes demonstrated disruption of bacterial membrane integrity as a contributing mechanism. No cytotoxicity was observed on mammalian cell lines at effective antiviral concentrations. Together, these findings establish HP1090 as a membrane-active venom peptide and, by linking envelope-dependent viral inactivation with bacterial membrane permeabilization, support a shared biophysical mode of action relevant to the development of membrane-targeting anti-infectives.

Asuzano, A. J., Olari, L. R., Jaber, N., Vogel, V., Fam, M. S., Rodríguez Alfonso, A. A., Preising, N., Ständker, L., Spellerberg, B., Breitinger, H. G., Breitinger, U., & Münch, J. (2026). Broad-Spectrum Antiviral and Antibacterial Activity of the Scorpion Venom Peptide HP1090. Toxins. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins18060268