Lennox-Bulow Danica, Courtney Robert, Seymour Jamie
Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, McGregor Road, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM), James Cook University, McGregor Road, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
Toxicon. 2025 Jan;254:108222. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.108222. Epub 2024 Dec 24.
Stonefish (Synanceia spp.) possess a medically significant venom and are widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific. Yet, little is known about how the ecology of these animals may influence their venom. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of species and geographic location on stonefish venom composition. We collected the venom of Synanceia horrida (Estuarine Stonefish) and Synanceia verrucosa (Reef Stonefish) from various locations across Australia (Cairns, Brisbane, Caloundra, and Onslow), and Southeast Asia (Kota Kinabalu, and Cebu) and analysed these samples using SDS-PAGE, FPLC, and HPLC. Stonefish have a complex venom comprised of numerous components. Stonefish venom exhibited both similarities and variations in composition within species between geographically isolated populations, as well as between species in a single location. We speculate that the observed geographic and interspecific trends may be driven by similarities and differences in the selective pressures faced by these animals, particularly those associated with predator dynamics. The findings of this study have furthered our understanding of the ecology of stonefish and their toxins.
毒鲉（毒鲉属）拥有具有重要医学意义的毒液，广泛分布于印度-太平洋地区。然而，对于这些动物的生态如何影响其毒液，人们知之甚少。本研究的目的是探讨物种和地理位置对毒鲉毒液成分的影响。我们从澳大利亚各地（凯恩斯、布里斯班、卡伦德拉和昂斯洛）以及东南亚（哥打基纳巴卢和宿务）收集了褐拟鲉（河口毒鲉）和瘤拟鲉（礁毒鲉）的毒液，并使用SDS-PAGE、FPLC和HPLC对这些样本进行了分析。毒鲉拥有由众多成分组成的复杂毒液。在地理隔离的种群之间以及单一地点的不同物种之间，毒鲉毒液在成分上既有相似之处，也有差异。我们推测，观察到的地理和种间趋势可能是由这些动物所面临的选择压力的异同所驱动的，特别是那些与捕食者动态相关的压力。本研究的结果加深了我们对毒鲉及其毒素生态学的理解。
