Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryo Nakano, Akio Ito, Susumu Tokumaru
Summary: A study has found that using ultrasonic pulses that mimic bat echolocation calls can effectively suppress the intrusion of moths into agricultural fields, reducing plant damage and the need for insecticides.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Stephanie Mouchbahani-Constance, Reza Sharif-Naeini
Summary: By utilizing genetic and proteomic sequencing techniques, researchers are able to uncover valuable molecules within venoms and identify novel evolutionary links between species. These techniques also offer insights into the evolution of specific toxins and provide new avenues for drug discovery.
Article
Biology
Federico Buonanno, Francesco Trenti, Gabriele Achille, Adriana Vallesi, Graziano Guella, Claudio Ortenzi
Summary: This study investigates the defensive functions adopted by the ciliate Stentor polymorphus against predators in the same aquatic ecosystem. The defensive strategy of this ciliate is primarily chemical, mediated by a mix of sterols.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aymeric Rogalski, S. W. A. Himaya, Richard J. Lewis
Summary: This study documents the culture of Conus magus and reveals dramatic shifts in predatory feeding behavior between post-metamorphic juveniles and adult specimens. The research found that early juveniles exclusively feed on polychaete worms using a unique sting-and-stalk foraging behavior, while adults capture fish using venom peptides and a hooked radular tooth.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Arash Kheirodin, Pedro F. S. Toledo, Alvin M. Simmons, Jason M. Schmidt
Summary: Insect herbivore abundances in agricultural fields are influenced by the surrounding landscape complexity, which can regulate herbivore populations through direct and indirect effects. More research is needed to study how landscape complexity mediates multi-species interactions within fields.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Rahul Jaitly, Eva Ehrnsten, Johanna Hedlund, Michael Cant, Philipp Lehmann, Alexander Hayward
Summary: Predation is a major driver of animal adaptation, and cephalopods are known for their behavioral flexibility and diverse anti-predator strategies. They have reduced reliance on physical defenses and evolved highly developed senses, cryptic skin patterns, startle responses, and elaborate means of escape. Despite the relatively well described anti-predator repertoire of cephalopods, their evolution and selective pressures have received less attention.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aiqing Lin, Jiqian Li, Yinli Hu, Maojun Zhong, Minglun Yu, Nina Ma, Tingting Wei, Jinhong Luo, Jiang Feng
Summary: A study shows that the defensive tactics of moths, the countertactics of bats, and the availability of moths collectively shape the diets of insectivorous bats. This highlights the importance of using a combination of behavioral experiments and molecular genetic techniques to understand the complex interactions between predators and prey in nature.
Review
Food Science & Technology
Benedict C. Offor, Beric Muller, Lizelle A. Piater
Summary: Snakebite envenoming is a neglected tropical disease with high incidence and mortality rates in Africa, due to lack of epidemiological data and underestimated figures. Detailed profiling of African snake venom proteomes is crucial for developing effective antivenom therapies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew L. Holding, Jason L. Strickland, Rhett M. Rautsaw, Erich P. Hofmann, Andrew J. Mason, Michael P. Hogan, Gunnar S. Nystrom, Schyler A. Ellsworth, Timothy J. Colston, Miguel Borja, Gamaliel Castaneda-Gaytan, Christoph Grunwald, Jason M. Jones, Luciana A. Freitas-de-Sousa, Vincent Louis Viala, Mark J. Margres, Erika Hingst-Zaher, Inacio L. M. Junqueira-de-Azevedo, Ana M. Moura-da-Silva, Felipe G. Grazziotin, H. Lisle Gibbs, Darin R. Rokyta, Christopher L. Parkinson
Summary: In a study of front-fanged venomous snakes in North America, it was found that prey phylogenetic diversity is more strongly correlated to venom complexity, indicating that the evolution of complexity is influenced by prey divergence. The results suggest that the diversity of species in an ecological community is more important than their overall number in determining evolutionary patterns in predator trait complexity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Anne E. Winters, Weili Chan, Andrew M. White, Cedric P. van den Berg, Mary J. Garson, Karen L. Cheney
Summary: The study found that defensive compounds of nudibranch molluscs can be categorized into different classes, serving both as deterrents and toxins, but there is no clear relationship between palatability and toxicity. Some species may have limited chemical defensive mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rafael Dettogni Guariento, Guilherme Dalponti, Luciana Silva Carneiro, Adriano Caliman
Summary: The emphasis on understanding the interaction among predators and the effects on prey survival has led to a lack of theoretical understanding on prey defence mechanisms in complex multi-predator scenarios. This study used a mathematical approach to evaluate the prevalence of defended prey phenotypes and their ecological consequences. The results showed that the emergence of defended phenotypes depends on predator-induced mortality rates, phenotype costs, and their effect on predator performance. The study also highlighted the importance of defensive strategies in mediating trophic cascades.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Rongsheng Cai, Yuhua Cai, Jianhe Shen
Summary: In this article, we investigate the coexistence of a predator and two prey species under the influence of evolution. We propose a three-time-scale model that incorporates rapid adaptive behavior in the predator's feeding choice, slow growth in the prey species, and extremely slow growth in the predator. By utilizing geometric singular perturbation theory and computing the entry-exit function for multidimensional fast-slow systems, we discover that the predator and the two prey species can coexist through relaxation oscillations in their feeding choice strategies, which is attributed to the delayed loss of stability. Additionally, we demonstrate that the predator can coexist with the two prey species through an interior equilibrium state with locally optimal feeding choice.
COMMUNICATIONS IN NONLINEAR SCIENCE AND NUMERICAL SIMULATION
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Fawad Z. A. Khan, Shimat Joseph
Summary: Predatory arthropods in turfgrass provide effective control of lepidopteran pests, and clay models have been used in studying predation. The characteristics of clay models, such as color, shape, and size, influence arthropod interactions in turfgrass. Caterpillar-shaped models and larger models capture more impressions from arthropods.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Przemyslaw Gawronski, Alfio Borzi, Krzysztof Kulakowski
Summary: This study investigates the system of two resources and one consumer within the Rosenzweig-MacArthur model, with a Holling type II functional response. The results show that oscillations of C and mutually synchronized R-i are destabilized when consumption rates are modified, leading the system towards fixed points or limit cycles with smaller amplitudes. The consumer is unable to change the preferred resource due to the symmetry between the resources.
Article
Ecology
Andrew T. Davidson, Elizabeth A. Hamman, Michael W. McCoy, James R. Vonesh
Summary: Warming can alter the rate at which predators consume prey and prey develop, impacting consumer-resource interactions. The differential effects of temperature on predator and prey responses determine the overall effect of predation on prey survival, either reducing or maintaining predation strength across a temperature gradient. More mechanistic understanding is needed to predict how warming affects food web dynamics accurately.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Anesthesiology
Luke Grundy, Cindy Tay, Stewart Christie, Andrea M. M. Harrington, Joel Castro, Fernanda C. C. Cardoso, Richard J. J. Lewis, Vladimir Zagorodnyuk, Stuart M. M. Brierley
Summary: The bladder wall is innervated by a complex network of afferent nerves that detect bladder stretch during filling. Low-voltage-activated T-type calcium channels play a major role in regulating bladder afferent responses to distension.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aymeric Rogalski, S. W. A. Himaya, Richard J. Lewis
Summary: This study documents the culture of Conus magus and reveals dramatic shifts in predatory feeding behavior between post-metamorphic juveniles and adult specimens. The research found that early juveniles exclusively feed on polychaete worms using a unique sting-and-stalk foraging behavior, while adults capture fish using venom peptides and a hooked radular tooth.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Michael J. J. Holmes, Richard J. J. Lewis
Summary: Published data were used to model the transfer of ciguatoxins across different levels of a marine food chain on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The study found that even transient and sparse ciguatoxin producers can generate ciguateric fishes. The research provides insights for designing risk and mitigation strategies for ciguatera and exploring different scenarios for the accumulation and transfer of ciguatoxins in marine food chains.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Thao N. T. Ho, Nikita Abraham, Richard J. Lewis
Summary: This study describes the allosteric binding mode of the granulin-like C-terminal (CTD) of VxXXB bound to Lymnea stagnalis acetylcholine binding protein (Ls-AChBP), revealing a novel allosteric binding site for nAChR antagonists. The results provide new structural insight into the allosteric mechanism of nAChR inhibition and define the cooperative binding mode of aD-conotoxins' N-terminal domain linked granulin core domains.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Phong H. N. Vo, Brett R. Hamilton, Roger A. Wepf, Trent A. Key, Thi Minh Hong Nguyen, Phong K. Thai, Kevin Thomas, Jochen F. Mueller
Summary: This study used DESI MSI to analyze the vertical distribution of PFAS in a concrete core from an AFFF-impacted FTG, and the results were consistent with the conventional method of core sidewall drilling. DESI MSI can provide detailed mass distribution at a higher resolution.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
F. C. Cardoso, A. A. Walker, G. F. King, M. V. Gomez
Summary: This study explored the neuroactivity and molecular diversity of Phoneutria nigriventer venom. By using proteomics and multi-pharmacology activity coupled to fractionation-guided high-throughput cellular assays, the research provides a proof-of-concept for studying spider-venom derived neuroactive peptides. The venom was found to be highly complex and contains potent modulators of voltage-gated ion channels.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Denis Servent, Fernanda C. Cardoso, Maria Elena De Lima
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Edin Muratspahic, Andrew M. White, Cosmin I. Ciotu, Nadine Hochrainer, Natasa Tomasevic, Johannes Koehbach, Richard J. Lewis, Mariana Spetea, Michael J. M. Fischer, David J. Craik, Christian W. Gruber
Summary: This study developed a novel KOR antagonist using peptide stapling and demonstrated its high selectivity and competitive antagonistic effect. The findings provide valuable insights for the development of innovative peptide drugs for KOR-related illnesses.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrew A. Walker, Samuel D. Robinson, David J. Merritt, Fernanda C. Cardoso, Mohaddeseh Hedayati Goudarzi, Raine S. Mercedes, David A. Eagles, Paul Cooper, Christina N. Zdenek, Bryan G. Fry, Donald W. Hall, Irina Vetter, Glenn F. King
Summary: This study investigates the anatomy, chemistry, and mode of action of the venom systems of caterpillars of the genus Megalopyge. The venom consists of large pore-forming toxins called megalysins and a small number of peptides. The venom induces pain behavior and swelling in mice by permeabilizing mammalian sensory neurons, and it is believed that the megalysins were acquired through horizontal gene transfer from bacteria.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Ivannah Pottier, Richard J. Lewis, Jean-Paul Vernoux
Summary: Ciguatera is a widespread poisoning caused by eating marine fish and invertebrates contaminated with ciguatoxins. The various types of ciguatoxins and their properties have been studied extensively, but there is no standardized method for extracting and quantifying ciguatoxins due to limited reference materials. Recent advances in analysis techniques offer new opportunities for detecting and quantifying ciguatoxins, but further research is needed to understand their toxicity and role in ciguatera fish poisoning.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shirin Ahmadi, Melisa Benard-Valle, Kim Boddum, Fernanda C. Cardoso, Glenn F. King, Andreas Hougaard Laustsen, Anne Ljungars
Summary: Ion channels are crucial for various physiological processes. Venomous creatures exploit ion channels by producing toxins that target them, leading to dysregulation which can cause severe complications in humans. However, the discovery of selective venom toxins has contributed to the development of drugs for envenoming and ion channel-related diseases.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yashad Dongol, David T. Wilson, Norelle L. Daly, Fernanda C. Cardoso, Richard J. Lewis
Summary: Structure-function and optimization studies of NaV-inhibiting spider toxins have been conducted to develop selective inhibitors for NaV1.7. This study extends the understanding of the structure-function relationships to include other NaV subtypes, NaV1.2 and NaV1.3. Analogues were designed for improved potency and/or subtype-selectivity, with S7R-E18K-rSsp1a and N14D-P27R-rSsp1a identified as promising leads. The findings highlight the challenge of developing subtype-selective spider toxin inhibitors across multiple NaV subtypes.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Edin Muratspahic, Andrew M. White, Cosmin I. Ciotu, Nadine Hochrainer, Natasa Tomasevic, Johannes Koehbach, Richard J. Lewis, Mariana Spetea, Michael J. M. Fischer, David J. Craik, Christian W. Gruber
Summary: In this study, a stable and potent KOR antagonist was developed using cysteine functionalization. The antagonist showed improved selectivity for KOR, and its effectiveness was verified in various cell lines and animal models. This research highlights the value of cysteine stapling in the development of KOR-related drugs.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thao N. T. Ho, Nikita Abraham, Richard J. Lewis
Summary: This study focused on the synthesis and characterization of the C-terminal domain (CTD) and N-terminal domain (NTD) of alpha D-Conotoxin VxXXB. The CTD showed potent inhibition of alpha 7 nAChRs and displayed allosteric binding to Ls-AChBP. The regioselective synthesis of the anti-parallel dimeric NTD also resulted in inhibition of alpha 7 nAChRs, although with reduced potency.
RSC MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)