PXD074241

PXD074241 is an original dataset announced via ProteomeXchange.

Title	Venom proteome of the termite-eating spider Ammoxenus amphalodes
Description	Venoms are complex chemical arsenals that have evolved across various animal lineages for predation, defence, and other ecological functions. In predatory species, venom composition is often shaped by diet, potentially leading to unique toxin profiles. Spiders are the most diverse group of terrestrial venomous predators, yet the venoms of most species, including highly specialized stenophagous species with narrow trophic niches, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the venom of Ammoxenus amphalodes, a spider that preys exclusively on termites, to explore its molecular composition and functional adaptations. Using a proteotranscriptomic approach, we identified 116 putative toxin sequences. Half of these were cysteine-rich peptides with distinct structural motifs, most of which diverge from known spider toxins containing an inhibitor-cystine-knot (ICK) motif. The venom proteome is dominated by two ammoxotoxin families, which together account for more than half of all transcripts, supporting the hypothesis that spiders with specialized diets have lower toxin diversity. We also identified a low proportion of larger venom proteins, including cholinesterases, phospholipases, immune proteins, carbonic anhydrases, and EF-hand proteins, which may serve housekeeping functions or play auxiliary roles in prey incapacitation. Bioassays with selected lab-produced peptides revealed one prey-specific peptide, U-AXTX(9)-Aa15, a member of the waprin family, which paralyses termites but not flies. The other peptides tested showed limited prey specificity, challenging assumptions of venom specialization. These findings provide new insights into the evolution of venom in dietary specialists and broaden the search for novel bioactive compounds with potential biotechnological applications.
HostingRepository	PRIDE
AnnounceDate	2026-04-27
AnnouncementXML	Submission_2026-04-26_23:20:32.027.xml
DigitalObjectIdentifier
ReviewLevel	Peer-reviewed dataset
DatasetOrigin	Original dataset
RepositorySupport	Unsupported dataset by repository
PrimarySubmitter	Ondrej Michalek
SpeciesList	scientific name: Ammoxenus amphalodes; NCBI TaxID: NEWT:1688437;
ModificationList	amidated residue
Instrument	Dionex UltiMate 3000 RSLCnano

Revision	Datetime	Status	ChangeLog Entry
0	2026-02-09 10:01:59	ID requested
⏵ 1	2026-04-26 23:20:32	announced

10.1016/J.IBMB.2026.104563;

submitter keyword: None

Stano Pekar
contact affiliation	Department of Botany and Zoology Faculty of Science, Masaryk University Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
contact email	pekar@sci.muni.cz
lab head
Ondrej Michalek
contact affiliation	Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University
contact email	michalek.ondrej@mail.muni.cz
dataset submitter

Dataset FTP location NOTE: Most web browsers have now discontinued native support for FTP access within the browser window. But you can usually install another FTP app (we recommend FileZilla) and configure your browser to launch the external application when you click on this FTP link. Or otherwise, launch an app that supports FTP (like FileZilla) and use this address: ftp://ftp.pride.ebi.ac.uk/pride/data/archive/2026/04/PXD074241

PRIDE project URI

• PRIDE
  1. PXD074241
     1. Label: PRIDE project
     2. Name: Venom proteome of the termite-eating spider Ammoxenus amphalodes