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Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Identification of Hemolytic and Phospholipase Activity in Crude Extracts from Sea Anemones by Straightforward Bioassays
Published on: March 29, 2022
Identification and functional characterization of a Nav-targeting peptide NavTx-Bg1 from sea anemone Bunodosoma
Cecelia Menezes1, Narsinh Thakur2, Kathleen Carleer3
1CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa, India; School of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Goa University, Taleigao, Goa, India; Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Sea anemones are a rich source of venom peptides, many of which target voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav), having immense potential for therapeutic development. In this study, we employed a transcriptomics-guided approach to predict and functionally characterize a Nav-targeting peptide from the sea anemone Bunodosoma goanense. A single putative peptide transcript with homology to known sodium channel modulators was discovered. This transcript-derived peptide was chemically synthesized and tested for activity. Electrophysiological assays employing two-electrode voltage clamp (TEVC) on Xenopus laevis oocytes overexpressing Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 channels, along with contraction paralysis assay, confirmed its functional activity. Subsequent tentacle venom purification isolated a native peptide with the same bioactivity. Our work demonstrates the power of predictive transcriptomics for sustainable venom peptide discovery.
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