Production, composition, and mode of action of the painful defensive venom produced by a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans

Venoms have evolved independently several times in Lepidoptera. Limacodidae is a family with worldwide distribution, many of which are venomous in the larval stage, but the composition and mode of action of their venom is unknown. Here, we use imaging technologies, transcriptomics, proteomics, and f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2021-05, Vol.118 (18), p.1-12
Main Authors: Walker, Andrew A., Robinson, Samuel D., Paluzzi, Jean-Paul V., Merritt, David J., Nixon, Samantha A., Schroeder, Christina I., Jin, Jiayi, Goudarzi, Mohaddeseh Hedayati, Kotze, Andrew C., Dekan, Zoltan, Sombke, Andy, Alewood, Paul F., Fry, Bryan G., Epstein, Marc E., Vetter, Irina, King, Glenn F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arachnids
Biological Sciences
Caterpillars
Cationic peptides
Cecropin
Cell membranes
Composition
Corazonin protein
Doratifera vulnerans
Evolution
Fractionation
Insects
Lepidoptera
Limacodidae
Mode of action
Molecular evolution
Pain
Pain perception
Parasites
Peptides
Proteomics
Toxins
Venom
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Summary:Venoms have evolved independently several times in Lepidoptera. Limacodidae is a family with worldwide distribution, many of which are venomous in the larval stage, but the composition and mode of action of their venom is unknown. Here, we use imaging technologies, transcriptomics, proteomics, and functional assays to provide a holistic picture of the venom system of a limacodid caterpillar, Doratifera vulnerans. Contrary to dogma that defensive venoms are simple in composition, D. vulnerans produces a complex venom containing 151 proteinaceous toxins spanning 59 families, most of which are peptides
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.2023815118