4.7 Article

Heterologous Expression of an Insecticidal Peptide Obtained from the Transcriptome of the Colombian Spider Phoneutria depilate

Journal

TOXINS
Volume 15, Issue 7, Pages -

Publisher

MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/toxins15070436

Keywords

insecticidal; heterologous; Phoneutria; spider; venom

Ask authors/readers for more resources

This paper reports the isolation of an insecticidal peptide from the venom gland transcriptome of the Brazilian spider, Phoneutria depilata. A synthetic gene was constructed and the recombinant peptide (rCtx-4) was expressed, purified and validated. The insecticidal activity of rCtx-4 was demonstrated in crickets, indicating its potential as a bioinsecticide for agricultural use.
Spider venoms are composed, among other substances, of peptide toxins whose selectivity for certain physiological targets has made them powerful tools for applications such as bioinsecticides, analgesics, antiarrhythmics, antibacterials, antifungals and antimalarials, among others. Bioinsecticides are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional agrochemicals. In this paper, the primary structure of an insecticidal peptide was obtained from the venom gland transcriptome of the ctenid spider Phoneutria depilata (Transcript ID PhdNtxNav24). The peptide contains 53 amino acids, including 10 Cys residues that form 5 disulfide bonds. Using the amino acid sequence of such peptide, a synthetic gene was constructed de novo by overlapping PCRs and cloned into an expression vector. A recombinant peptide, named delta-ctenitoxin (rCtx-4), was obtained. It was expressed, folded, purified and validated using mass spectrometry (7994.61 Da). The insecticidal activity of rCtx-4 was demonstrated through intrathoracic injection in crickets (LD50 1.2 & mu;g/g insect) and it was not toxic to mice. rCtx-4 is a potential bioinsecticide that could have a broad spectrum of applications in agriculture.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.7
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available