Arthropod venom components and their potential usage

Abstract

Arthropods comprise a predominant and well-succeeded phylum of the animal kingdom that evolved and diversified in millions of species grouped in four subphyla, namely, Chelicerata (arachnids), Crustacea, Myriapoda (centipedes), and Hexapoda (insects). It is agreed that the success of the arthropods’ flourishment and evolutionary story are in great part due to the diversification of venom apparatus and venom usage [1,2]. Thousands of arthropod species, ranging from arachnids (spiders and scorpions) to hymenopterans (ants, bees, and wasps) and myriapods (centipedes), are venomous and utilize their venoms for chemical ecological warfare that includes individual and colonial defense, predation, and paralysis of coexistent species to nourish their brood. Despite arthropods’ venoms are invariably harmful to humans, and some may cause serious injuries, e.g., those from scorpions, spiders, and wasps, they are potentially useful molecular scalpels to dissect and modulate cellular processes and, consequently, they can be converted into biopharmaceuticals and biotools. In this respect, arthropod venoms have attracted the attention of toxin researchers for years, seeking to characterize biologically active compounds of these rich venom sources. Especially in the last decades, venom component analysis has progressed more than ever because of the great advances of analytical techniques; in particular, mass spectrometry and next-generation deep (DNA and RNA) sequencing. As such, proteomic and peptidomic analyses utilizing LC–MS, as well as transcriptomics (alone or in combination with proteomics), have made it possible to fully analyze venom components, revealing a variety of novel peptide and protein toxin sequences and scaffolds. These are potentially useful as pharmacological research tools and for the development of highly selective peptide ligands and therapeutic leads. Moreover, because of their specificity for numerous ion-channel subtypes, including voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, arthropod neurotoxins have been investigated to dissect and treat neurodegenerative diseases and control epileptic syndromes. This Special Issue collects information on such progress.[...]