Apomastus schlingeri

Apomastus schlingeri
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
Family: Euctenizidae
Genus: Apomastus
Species:
A. schlingeri
Binomial name
Apomastus schlingeri
Bond & Opell, 2002

Apomastus schlingeri (misnomer Aptostichus schlingeri) is a species of venomous spiders belonging to a family of trapdoor spiders. They produce a complex of neurotoxins called aptotoxins. Both known species of the genus are found in the United States.

Venom

Apomastus schlingeri have a venom that is highly neurotoxic in effect. The neurotoxin is actually a complex of proteins called aptotoxins (Aps for short), which in turn belong to a group of neurotoxins called cyrtautoxins. There are at least nine different peptides, and most of them are directly paralytic and lethal to insect larvae. All of the peptides are voltage-gated sodium channel blockers. To date, Aps III is known to be the most potent peptide of all.

References

  1. 1 2 Bende NS, Kang E, Herzig V, Bosmans F, Nicholson GM, Mobli M, King GF (2013). "The insecticidal neurotoxin Aps III is an atypical knottin peptide that potently blocks insect voltage-gated sodium channels". Biochem Pharmacol. 85 (10): 1541–1554. doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2013.02.030. PMC 3654253. PMID 23473802.
  2. ↑ "Apomastus schlingeri". World Spider Catalog. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  3. ↑ Skinner WS, Dennis PA, Li JP, Quistad GB (1992). "Identification of insecticidal peptides from venom of the trap-door spider, Aptostichus schlingeri (Ctenizidae)". Toxicon. 30 (9): 1040–1053. doi:10.1016/0041-0101(92)90049-b. PMID 1440641.