Molecular Recognition and Immunopharmacological Implications of Serratiopeptidase Targeting Snake Venom Bradykinin-Potentiating Peptides

Posted by
  Molecular Recognition and Immunopharmacological Implications of Serratiopeptidase Targeting Snake Venom Bradykinin-Potentiating Peptides Abstract Purpose Bradykinin-potentiating peptides (BPPs), found in snake venom, are known to modulate cardiovascular functions, but their susceptibility to enzymatic degradation remains poorly understood. Methods Models were generated using AlphaFold-Colab for five small BPPs (< 9 amino acids) that did not have experimentally solved structures, and those BPPs which had reliable predictions of structure (pLDDT > 80) were used for docking studies. Protein-peptide docking experiments were done using HADDOCK for studying the interaction between wild-type (WT) and mutant serratiopeptidase with BPPs. After selecting the best complex, simulation of the complex was done using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for 100 ns and binding energy determination using MM/PBSA analysis. For checking the mechanical stability of the protein-peptide complexes...

Distribution of scorpions (arachnida: scorpiones) according to inaturalist observations in Panama

Posted by

 

Distribution of scorpions (arachnida: scorpiones) according to inaturalist observations in Panama


Abstract

Scorpions are an important component of Panama’s biodiversity, yet their distribution remains poorly documented. This study analyzed their spatial distribution using 384 research-grade records obtained from iNaturalist between 2020 and 2025. A total of 15 species belonging to three families and five genera were identified. Centruroides bicolor was the most frequently recorded species, while the provinces of Panamá, Coclé, and Veraguas showed the highest species richness and number of observations. The results highlight the potential of iNaturalist as a complementary tool for studying distribution patterns, identifying knowledge gaps, and guiding future research on Panama’s scorpion fauna.  

Youngs-Mitre, M. A., Figueroa-Coronado, I. I., Mack, M. and Santos-Murga, A. (2026) “Distribution of scorpions (arachnida: scorpiones) according to inaturalist observations in Panama”, Mesoamericana, 28(2), pp. 54–59. doi: 10.48204/j.mesoamericana.v28n2.a11312.