Main Components of Spider Venoms

Nentwig, Wolfgang; Kuhn‐Nentwig, Lucia

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-33989-9_14

Cited by 15 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…By contrast, researchers have generated substantial details on other aspects of venom (e.g., biochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology) for a much greater diversity of spiders (Nentwig and Kuhn-Nentwig 2013). Again, researchers have to a large extent neglected to study the behavioral roles and usage of venom.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Cheliceral fangs act as hypodermic needles, typically opening at their distal tip and usually moving in one of two planes: either dorsoventrally in the mygalomorphs (infraorder Mygalomorphae, or Orthognatha) or mediolaterally in the araneomorphs (infraorder Araneomorphae, Labidognatha). Spider venoms comprise complex, multi-component mixtures of biologically active substances, including neurotransmitters and salts, acylpolyamines, peptides, and proteins (including some of large molecular weights; Casewell et al 2013;Fry et al 2009;KuhnNentwig et al 2011), that play important roles in both predation (killing or paralyzing prey) and defense (Foelix 1996;Nentwig and Kuhn-Nentwig 2013;Quintero-Hernandez et al 2011). …”

Section: Spider Venom Apparatus and Venommentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The venom gland may be exclusively located within the chelicerae (as in the mygalomorphs), but may also extend well into the cephalothorax, occupying a significant proportion of the total volume (as in the araneomorphs; Nentwig and Kuhn-Nentwig 2013). Cheliceral fangs act as hypodermic needles, typically opening at their distal tip and usually moving in one of two planes: either dorsoventrally in the mygalomorphs (infraorder Mygalomorphae, or Orthognatha) or mediolaterally in the araneomorphs (infraorder Araneomorphae, Labidognatha).…”

Section: Spider Venom Apparatus and Venommentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the context of predation, the interplay between prey size, prey defensive capabilities, and capacity of prey to struggle will influence whether spiders deploy their venom. In a number of species investigated, prey size represents an important factor influencing venom deployment, with spiders routinely seizing and chewing small arthropods without applying venom, relying instead on the chelicerae to crush or chew them, thereby reserving venom for larger prey (Cupiennius salei [Ctenidae]: Malli et al 1998;Nentwig and Kuhn-Nentwig 2013;Wigger et al 2002 Schenberg and Pereira-Lima 1978). Malli et al (1998) quantified the venom dose injected by C. salei (Ctenidae) into crickets of various size classes ranging from 100 to 660 mg.…”

Section: Selective Venom Use By Spidersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Strategic Use of Venom by Spiders

Cooper¹,

Nelsen²,

Hayes³

2015

Evolution of Venomous Animals and Their Toxins

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Understanding the behaviors by which animals deploy their venoms has been largely neglected compared to other aspects of the evolution and biology of venomous organisms and their venoms. Yet, behavior has long been recognized as a pacemaker for the evolution of morphological, ecological, life history, and other traits, in large part because behavioral responses can expose organisms to or protect them from novel selection pressures. The importance of behavior is especially evident in that venom most often functions through a behavioral act that generates a wound in a target animal through which the toxic secretion must be introduced. As a limited and costly commodity, venom should be deployed strategically and judiciously by those animals that possess it. The chapter summarizes the major aspects of adaptive venom use in animals, and highlights the best documented examples of strategic venom deployment among spiders. These animals, like other venomous taxa, exhibit four major behavioral strategies. First, they are often highly selective when using their venom, discharging it only under certain conditions. Second, they can modulate the quantity of venom they expend in both predatory and defensive contexts, delivering multiple bites or variable quantities within individual doses. Third, at least one study suggests that spiders possess venom gland heterogeneity and therefore deliver varying venom composition with successive venom expulsions. Finally, some evidence suggests that spiders can strategically target the delivery of their weapon at a particularly vulnerable region of their target. Collectively, the evidence suggests a common theme among spiders and other venomous animals for economization and optimization of venom deployment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Spider Venom Apparatus and Venommentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Spider Venom Apparatus and Venommentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Selective Venom Use By Spidersmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Strategic Use of Venom by Spiders

Cooper¹,

Nelsen²,

Hayes³

2015

Evolution of Venomous Animals and Their Toxins

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show abstract

“…Seis grupos principais de componentes podem ser identificados em venenos de aranhas: compostos de baixa massa molecular, acilpoliaminas, mini proteínas ricas em cisteína, proteínas grandes, enzimas e peptídeos lineares (descritos na Tabela 1) (Nentwig, Kuhn-Nentwig, 2013). Esses compostos podem agir como neurotoxinas, citotoxinas e/ou como moduladores de canais iônicos (Vassilevski et al, 2009).…”

Section: Venenos De Aranhasunclassified