Scorpion venom-injected pesticide could protect plants from bugs!
April 28th, 2011 - 6:53 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Apr 28 (ANI): Scientists have uncovered new ways to use scorpion venom to protect plants from bugs.
Past research identified scorpion toxin’s usefulness in the development of insecticides. Its venom attacks various channels and receptors that control their prey’s nervous and muscular systems.
One major target of scorpion toxins is the voltage-gated sodium channel, a protein found in nerve and muscle cells used for rapid electrical signaling.
“The goal of our scorpion toxin project is to understand why certain scorpion toxins act on insect sodium channels, but not their mammalian counterparts,” said Ke Dong from Michigan State University.
Dong and a team of researchers were able to identify amino acid residues in insect sodium channels that make the channels more vulnerable to the venom from the Israeli desert scorpion.
The team also discovered that an important sodium channel voltage sensor can influence the potency of the scorpion toxin.
“Investigating the venom’s effect on the voltage-gated sodium channel could provide valuable information for designing new insecticides that work by selectively targeting insect sodium channels,” Dong said.
The study has been published in the current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. (ANI)
- Newly identified spider toxin may help treat pain, human diseases - Mar 10, 2011
- Soon, scorpion venom-based painkillers - Feb 17, 2010
- Scorpion venom could replace morphine as painkiller - Feb 17, 2010
- Deadly scorpion venom used to develop safe, ecological pesticide - Jan 12, 2010
- Cuba working on anti-cancer treatment using scorpion venom - Nov 30, 2011
- Scorpion sting could be used to stop heart bypass failures - Oct 23, 2010
- Scientists discover first protein-based amphibian toxin in Chinese tree frog - Aug 18, 2009
- Worker ants can kill termites - Dec 15, 2011
- Transgenic fungi may help fight malaria: Study - Feb 25, 2011
- How chemical repellents trip up insects - Aug 29, 2010
- Bugs ground into bread in Australia - Jan 02, 2012
- Some nerve cells that make us itch also make us feel pain, finds study - May 03, 2011
- Ancient 8-foot sea scorpions not as frightening as previously thought - Jan 03, 2011
- The secret behind cone snail's venom pump discovered - Oct 28, 2010
- Novel way to fight 'kissing bugs' - Apr 30, 2010
Tags: amino acid residues, insect, insecticides, israeli desert, journal of biological chemistry, mammalian counterparts, michigan state university, muscle cells, muscular systems, nerve and muscle, pesticide, potency, receptors, scorpion, scorpion toxin, sodium channel, sodium channels, target, venom, voltage sensor