Compiled: Mintina
Sydney funnel web spider
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
Funnel-web spiders are not only the most venomous arachnids in the world, but they can also choose how lethal their venom is.
According to a recent study published in PLOS ONE, the lethality of spider venom depends on the environment in which they are used. With the complex toxins in venom, researchers continue to unlock new benefits for human health.
The most complex venom in the natural world
"Funnel web spiders have the most complex toxins in nature, and toxin molecules have therapeutic and natural biological insecticidal value. Understanding how these venoms are produced in spiders is the process of unlocking these potentials," report author, Dr Linda Hernández Duran, James Cook University's Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, said in a press release.
Duran and her team collected samples of four funnel-web spiders, including Border Ranges (Hadronyche valida), Darling Downs (Hadronyche infensa), Southern tree-dwelling (Hadronyche cerberea), and Sydney funnel web spiders (Atrax robustus).
They tested the spiders, which involved poking with tweezers and injecting air into their bodies. Outcome? The researchers saw changes in spider venom based on different factors, such as defense, heart rate.
"We graphed their behavior and used laser monitors to understand their heart rate and thus understand the by-value of their metabolic rate. We then collected their venom and analyzed it with a giant spectrometer," says Duran.
Sydney funnel web spider
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
Get a closer look at spider venom
Several species of Australian spiders are known for being the most well-known spiders in the world, at least for humans.
Science Alert reports that there are 30 to 40 cases of human spider bites in Australia each year, and only male Sydney funnel-web spiders are able to kill humans. In fact, since 1981, researchers discovered antivenom, and the lethal venom never caused any more deaths.
Many studies have looked at venom molecules, but have not focused on the spider's behavior, physical condition, and living environment. This led Hernández Duran and her colleagues to consider the effects of these venom changes.
"For the Border Ranges funnel-web spider, some of the venom composition is associated with psychological and self-defense factors," Duran said. "This is not the case for other species, which also suggests that this may be related to the specificity of the species."
"For the first time, we understand the link between the properties of venom composition and actual behavioral and physiological diversity, and show that these relationships are related to the environment." We explore valuable information for the future and continue to understand the ecological role of venom. ”
Source: Andrew McLemore