The structures of toxins specific to insects and crustaceans were revealed by the team using cryo-electron microscopy. The Gatsogiannis team was credited by nickybay.com.
Spiders are usually more afraid of humans than they are of humans, so phobias are often irrational. The Latrodectus spider, also known as the Black Widow, is a force to be reckoned with. Latrotoxins are a subclass of neurotoxins and nerve poisons and are used to catch its prey. Humans can be killed by a bite from a Black Widow. Prof. Gatsogiannis from the Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics at Mnster University looked at the nerve poison's unique structure to see if it could be used for medical purposes. The team of Mnster researchers succeeded in explaining the first structure of a latrotoxin thanks to the use of cryo-EM and the collaboration with Gatsogiannis' former colleagues at the Max Planck Institute in Dortmund and with researchers at Jacobs University. The team's findings have been published.
Many non-specialists use theotulinumtoxins, which are often used in cosmetic surgery. The Black Widow's poison has nothing to do with "beautifying" and is simply used to kill insects. In the process, the toxins dock onto the surface of nerve cells and cause neurotransmitters to be released, for example through a calcium channel. The constant inflow of calcium ion into the cell leads to seizures.
The mechanism distinguishes the latrotoxins from other versions of the toxins. "Despite many studies, we didn't know the structure of the toxins," says Gatsogiannis. "Couldn't understand the precise active mechanism." The help was provided in the form of a tool called a cryo-EM. biomolecules can now be "photographed" down to atomic resolution by means of this three-dimensional method. In the process, the ethane is frozen at a temperature of minus 196 degrees in a thin layer of ice. Hundreds and thousands of images are captured which show different views of the neurotoxin and allow it to be recognized.
The first structure of a latrotoxin was explained by the team of Mnster researchers using cryo-EM. The structure of LaTX is different from all other toxins. New insights into the LaTX family's mechanism of action pave the way for possible medical applications as well as the development of an efficient antidote. New opportunities for pesticides might be opened by these insights into insect-specific toxins. Understanding how the toxin is inserted into the cell's surface is important for future research. Gatsogiannis says that they are studying the structure of all members of the latrotoxin family, and how they recognize the specific receptors on the surface of the cell.
The biggest obstacle to these plans is that cryo-EM is not available in the Mnster area. Prof. Gatsogiannis and his team want to change this, as they say the practical importance for medical research is immense. The method is very complex and requires an ultramodern infrastructure. The Center for Soft Nanoscience is a new research building at Mnster University.
More information is available from the Nature Communications. There is a DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26562-8.
Nature Communications is a journal.
The neurotoxin was retrieved from a black widow on December 6th, 2021.
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