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Related Concept Videos

Bacterial Toxins01:12

Bacterial Toxins

Bacterial toxins are sophisticated virulence factors that enable pathogenic bacteria to interact with, invade, and damage host tissues. These toxins fall broadly into two types: protein exotoxins, which are secreted into the environment and target specific host receptors, and lipopolysaccharide endotoxins, which are structural components of the bacterial outer membrane released primarily during bacterial lysis or membrane shedding. Exotoxins generally act more selectively, binding to cell...
Botulism01:22

Botulism

Botulism is a life-threatening neuroparalytic condition caused by botulinum neurotoxin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, a Gram-positive, spore-forming, obligate anaerobe.In adults, the toxin enters the body in different ways: in foodborne botulism, the preformed toxin is absorbed in the intestine. In wound botulism, spores grow in injured tissue and release the toxin into the blood. Infant botulism differs mechanistically from adult forms. In infants, botulism commonly...
Tetanus01:29

Tetanus

Tetanus is a life-threatening neurological disorder characterized by persistent muscle contractions and spastic paralysis. It is caused by Clostridium tetani, a motile, Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobe. These bacteria produce terminal endospores, giving them a distinctive “lollipop” or “tennis-racket” appearance. They thrive in anaerobic environments, such as those found in deep puncture wounds.Once introduced into the body, the spores germinate into vegetative cells. These cells...
Types of Toxins01:36

Types of Toxins

Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Diphtheria01:28

Diphtheria

Diphtheria is an acute, toxin-mediated infectious disease that primarily affects the upper respiratory tract. It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a Gram-positive, pleomorphic rod that lacks spore-forming capability and exhibits a characteristic club-shaped morphology under microscopic examination. While C. diphtheriae can asymptomatically colonize mucosal surfaces, clinical disease manifests only when the bacterial strain is lysogenized by a specific β-corynephage. This phage...
Directly Acting Muscle Relaxants: Dantrolene and Botulinum Toxin01:26

Directly Acting Muscle Relaxants: Dantrolene and Botulinum Toxin

Directly acting muscle relaxants like dantrolene and botulinum toxin (BoNT) have distinct mechanisms and applications. Dantrolene, a hydantoin derivative, acts on the ryanodine receptor (RYR1) in skeletal muscle cells. RYR1 are calcium channels present at the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. In response to excitation, they release calcium ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol. Calcium promotes actin-myosin-mediated contraction of muscles.
The binding of dantrolene to the RYR1...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Extraction of Venom and Venom Gland Microdissections from Spiders for Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses
10:25

Extraction of Venom and Venom Gland Microdissections from Spiders for Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses

Published on: November 3, 2014

Polypeptide toxins from animal venoms.

Sergey A Kozlov1

  • 1Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. serg@ibch.ru

Recent Patents on DNA & Gene Sequences
|December 17, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Venomous animals possess complex toxins that are valuable for novel drug discovery. This review analyzes patented polypeptide structures, comparing them with public databases to identify unique compounds.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Venomous animals evolved specialized systems with diverse compounds (ions, amines, polypeptides, enzymes) for hunting and defense.
  • Natural toxins are stable, variable molecules with potent biological effects on specific molecular targets.
  • The high activity of toxins makes them attractive for discovering and characterizing novel structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the structures of polypeptide molecules (2-12 kDa) from venomous animals, as documented in patent literature.
  • To analyze these structures based on their functional relationships with molecular targets.
  • To compare patented sequences with public databases (UniProt) to identify novel structures.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of patent databases focusing on venom-derived polypeptide structures.

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High Throughput Quantitative Expression Screening and Purification Applied to Recombinant Disulfide-rich Venom Proteins Produced in E. coli
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High Throughput Quantitative Expression Screening and Purification Applied to Recombinant Disulfide-rich Venom Proteins Produced in E. coli

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Extraction of Venom and Venom Gland Microdissections from Spiders for Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses
10:25

Extraction of Venom and Venom Gland Microdissections from Spiders for Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses

Published on: November 3, 2014

Harvesting Venom Toxins from Assassin Bugs and Other Heteropteran Insects
09:45

Harvesting Venom Toxins from Assassin Bugs and Other Heteropteran Insects

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High Throughput Quantitative Expression Screening and Purification Applied to Recombinant Disulfide-rich Venom Proteins Produced in E. coli
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High Throughput Quantitative Expression Screening and Purification Applied to Recombinant Disulfide-rich Venom Proteins Produced in E. coli

Published on: July 30, 2014

  • Bioinformatic analysis of sequence data and molecular mass.
  • Comparative analysis of patented sequences against public protein databases.

    • Main Results:

    • Identified and reviewed numerous polypeptide structures within the 2-12 kDa range from various venomous species.
    • Established functional relationships between these toxin structures and their respective molecular targets.
    • Discovered several patented toxin structures that are not present in public protein databases.

    Conclusions:

    • Patented venom-derived polypeptides represent a significant source of novel molecular structures with therapeutic potential.
    • Comparative analysis highlights gaps in public databases regarding characterized venom toxins.
    • Further investigation of these unique patented structures could lead to new drug development.