Caterpillar venom study reveals toxins borrowed from bacteria

Date:
July 10, 2023
Source:
University of Queensland
Summary:
Researchers have found toxins in the venom of asp caterpillars
are completely different to anything they have seen before in
insects. Toxins in the caterpillar venom punch holes in cells the
same way as toxins produced by disease-causing bacteria such as
E. coli and Salmonella.

Venoms are rich sources of new molecules that could be developed
into medicines of the future, pesticides, or used as scientific
tools.


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==========================================================================
FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers at The University of Queensland have discovered the venom
of a notorious caterpillar has a surprising ancestry and could be key
to the delivery of lifesaving drugs.

A team led by Dr Andrew Walker and Professor Glenn King from UQ's
Institute for Molecular Bioscience found toxins in the venom of asp caterpillars punch holes in cells the same way as toxins produced by disease-causing bacteria such as E.

coliand Salmonella.

"We were surprised to find asp caterpillar venom was completely different
to anything we had seen before in insects," Dr Walker said.

"When we looked at it more closely, we saw proteins that were very
similar to some of the bacterial toxins that make you sick." This type
of bacterial toxins bind themselves to the surface of cells and assemble
into donut-like structures that form holes.

"It's similar to the mechanism of box jellyfish venom -- and as we've
now found -- caterpillar venom too," Dr Walker said.

"The venom in these caterpillars has evolved via the transfer of genes
from bacteria more than 400 million years ago." The asp caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis, larva of a moth) is native to North America,
where it is often found in oak or elm trees.

It might look innocuous, but its long hair-like bristles conceal venomous spines that can deliver an excruciating sting likened to touching burning
coal or blunt force trauma -- often sending victims to hospital.

"Many caterpillars have developed sophisticated defences against
predators, including cyanide droplets and defensive glues that cause
severe pain, and we're interested to understand how they are all related,"
Dr Walker said.

"Venoms are rich sources of new molecules that could be developed into medicines of the future, pesticides, or used as scientific tools.

"IMB's investigations into the venom of snakes and spiders have already demonstrated their amazing potential, but caterpillar venoms are
particularly understudied.

"Toxins that puncture holes in cells have particular potential in drug
delivery because of their ability to enter cells.

"There may be a way to engineer the molecule to target beneficial drugs
to healthy cells, or to selectively kill cancer cells." This research
was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

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Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Queensland. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Andrew A. Walker, Samuel D. Robinson, David J. Merritt, Fernanda C.

Cardoso, Mohaddeseh Hedayati Goudarzi, Raine S. Mercedes, David A.

Eagles, Paul Cooper, Christina N. Zdenek, Bryan G. Fry, Donald
W. Hall, Irina Vetter, Glenn F. King. Horizontal gene transfer
underlies the painful stings of asp caterpillars (Lepidoptera:
Megalopygidae).

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023; 120 (29)
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305871120 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230710180448.htm

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