Structure and function of predatory and defensive venoms in cone snails

本项目旨在对新发现的锥螺毒液进行研究，以加快寻找新的生物活性多肽。最近发现，锥形蜗牛可以快速且可逆地在不同的毒液之间切换，以响应捕食性或防御性刺激，这意味着防御性和捕食性毒液是在不同的选择压力下进化的。该项目计划从单个锥形蜗牛身上分离出捕食性和防御性毒液以及毒液导管组织，以比较和对比为捕食和防御而进化的芋螺毒素的结构和功能，以阐明这些重要类别的生物活性多肽的结构和功能。

This project aims to investigate newly-discovered cone snail venoms to accelerate the search for novel bioactive peptides. It was recently discovered that cone snails can rapidly and reversibly switch between distinct venoms in response to predatory or defensive stimuli, implying that defensive and predatory venoms have evolved under separate selection pressures. The project plans to obtain separate predatory and defensive venoms and venom duct tissue from individual cone snails to compare and contrast the structure and function of conotoxins evolved for predation versus those evolved for defence, to elucidate the structure and function of these important classes of bioactive peptides.