The Biochemical Toxin Arsenal from Ant Venoms [PDF]
Toxins, 2016 Ants (Formicidae) represent a taxonomically diverse group of hymenopterans with over 13,000 extant species, the majority of which inject or spray secretions from a venom gland.
Axel Touchard +6 more
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Ant venoms contain vertebrate-selective pain-causing sodium channel toxins [PDF]
Nature Communications, 2023 Stings of certain ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) can cause intense, long-lasting nociception. Here we show that the major contributors to these symptoms are venom peptides that modulate the activity of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels, reducing
Samuel D. Robinson +15 more
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Discovery of an Insect Neuroactive Helix Ring Peptide from Ant Venom [PDF]
Toxins, 2023 Ants are among the most abundant terrestrial invertebrate predators on Earth. To overwhelm their prey, they employ several remarkable behavioral, physiological, and biochemical innovations, including an effective paralytic venom.
Valentine Barassé +19 more
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Megalomyrmex milenae Transcriptome Reveals a Complex Venom Cocktail [PDF]
ToxinsMegalomyrmex ant species have a rich natural history that provides an interesting backdrop to understanding how venom has been shaped by evolution.
Kyle S. Sozanski +4 more
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A New Kv1.3 Channel Blocker from the Venom of the Ant Tetramorium bicarinatum [PDF]
ToxinsAnt venoms are rich sources of bioactive molecules, including peptide toxins with potent and selective activity on ion channels, which makes them valuable for pharmacological research and therapeutic development. Voltage-dependent potassium (Kv) channels,
Guillaume Boy +8 more
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Biological Activities and Ecological Significance of Fire Ant Venom Alkaloids [PDF]
Toxins, 2023 Venoms produced by arthropods act as chemical weapons to paralyze prey or deter competitors. The utilization of venom is an essential feature in the biology and ecology of venomous arthropods.
Guangxin Xu, Li Chen
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Genome of the green-head ant, Rhytidoponera metallica, reveals mechanisms of toxin evolution in a genetically hyper-diverse eusocial species [PDF]
Genome BiologyBackground While ants are textbook examples of eusocial animals in which altruistic behavior is maintained through kin selection, several ants form genetically diverse colonies that challenge this concept.
Anders Isaksen +6 more
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The Helix Ring Peptide U11 from the Venom of the Ant, Tetramorium bicarinatum, Acts as a Putative Pore-Forming Toxin [PDF]
MembranesAn insect neuroactive helix ring peptide called U11-MYRTX-Tb1a (abbreviated as U11) from the venom of the ant, Tetramorium bicarinatum. U11 is a 34-amino-acid peptide that is claimed to be one of the most paralytic peptides ever reported from ant venoms ...
Steve Peigneur, Diogo Tibery, Jan Tytgat
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The genome of the ant Tetramorium bicarinatum reveals a tandem organization of venom peptides genes allowing the prediction of their regulatory and evolutionary profiles [PDF]
BMC GenomicsBackground Venoms have evolved independently over a hundred times in the animal kingdom to deter predators and/or subdue prey. Venoms are cocktails of various secreted toxins, whose origin and diversification provide an appealing system for evolutionary ...
Axel Touchard +5 more
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Venomics of the Central European Myrmicine Ants Myrmica rubra and Myrmica ruginodis
Toxins, 2022 Animal venoms are a rich source of novel biomolecules with potential applications in medicine and agriculture. Ants are one of the most species-rich lineages of venomous animals.
Sabine Hurka +9 more
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