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Unlocking the mystery of the duck-billed platypus' venom | ||
| January 15th, 2010 | ||
Abandon any notion that the duck-billed platypus is a soft and cuddly creature - maybe like Perry the Platypus in the Phineas and Ferb cartoon. This platypus, renowned as one of the few mammals that lay eggs, also is one of only a few venomous mammals. The males can deliver a mega-sting that causes immediate, excruciating pain, like hundreds of hornet stings, leaving victims incapacitated for weeks. Now scientists are reporting an advance toward deciphering the chemical composition of the venom, with the first identification of a dozen protein building blocks. Their study is in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication: "Duck-Billed Platypus Venom Peptides Induce Ca2+ Influx in Neuroblastoma Cells."
To unlock its secrets, the scientists collected samples of platypus venom and used high-tech analytical instruments to separate and characterize its components. They identified 11 new peptides, or protein subunits, in the venom. Studies using nerve cells suggest that one of these substances, called Heptapeptide 1, is the main agent responsible for triggering pain. The substance appears to work by interacting with certain receptors in the nerve cells, they suggest. Contact: Michael Woods Editor 202-872-6293 American Chemical Society |
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