Researchers at The University of Queensland have discovered that the venom of a notorious caterpillar has a surprising ancestry and could be crucial for toxins-unveiled-in-caterpillar-venom-research.html” title=”Bacteria-Inspired Toxins Unveiled in Caterpillar Venom Research”>delivering lifesaving drugs.
A team led by Dr. Andrew Walker and Professor Glenn King from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience found that toxins in the venom of asp caterpillars function in the same way as toxins produced by disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“We were surprised to find that asp caterpillar venom was completely different from anything we had seen before in insects,” Dr. Walker said. “Upon closer examination, we discovered proteins that were very similar to some of the bacterial toxins that cause illness.”
These types of bacterial toxins attach themselves to the surface of cells and form donut-like structures that create holes.
“This mechanism is similar to the venom of box jellyfish—and now we have found that it is also present in caterpillar venom,” Dr. Walker said. “The venom in these caterpillars evolved through the transfer of genes from bacteria over 400 million years ago.”
2023-07-11 11:24:03
Article from phys.org
