![]() ![]() ![]() Documented bites on humans make clear that while these spiders can bite, the typical result is a mild sting with no long-lasting effects. However, crickets exhibit flaccid paralysis and regions of darkening that are not observed after P. Bioassays of crude venoms on crickets resulted in an effective paralytic dose of 3.9 μg/g, which is comparable to that of crude venoms of Plectreurys tristis and other Synspermiata taxa. Comparative evidence suggests that the neprilysin gene family is expressed in venoms across a range of spider taxa, but has undergone an expansion in the venoms of pholcids and may play a central functional role in these spiders. Neprilysins (M13 peptidases), and astacins (M12 peptidases) are the most abundant venom proteins, respectively representing 15 and 11% of the individual proteins and 32 and 20% of the tryptic peptides detected in crude venom. We identify 17 new groups of peptides (U 1−17-PHTX) most of which are homologs of known venom peptides and are predicted to have an inhibitor cysteine knot fold of these, 13 are confirmed in the proteome. The majority of the venom (51% of tryptic polypeptides and 62% of unique tryptic peptides) consists of proteins homologous to known venom toxins including enzymes (astacin metalloproteases, serine proteases and metalloendopeptidases, particularly neprilysins) and venom peptide neurotoxins. We also analyze the venom's potency on insects, and assemble available evidence regarding mammalian toxicity. Here we detail the venom composition of male Physocyclus mexicanus using proteomic analyses and venom-gland transcriptomes (“venomics”). Pholcid spiders (Araneae: Pholcidae), officially “cellar spiders” but popularly known as “daddy long-legs,” are renown for the potential of deadly toxic venom, even though venom composition and potency has never formally been studied. 4Arizona Proteomics Consortium, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States.3Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.2Spider Pharm, Yarnell, AZ, United States.1Department of Biology, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, United States. ![]() Zobel-Thropp 1 Jennifer Mullins 1 Charles Kristensen 2 Brent A. ![]()
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