Fish venom as a model system for the molecular evolution of defensive toxins

这项研究的主要目的是对不同鱼类谱系中发现的毒液进行彻底调查，包括神秘的物种，如有毒的和医学上重要的物种，如石鱼。通过描述不同鱼类毒液中毒素的生物多样性，可以揭示这一主要脊椎动物谱系中毒液的进化历史。这里提议的调查还将确定不同毒液及其成分的功能活动。这不仅将有助于了解每年成千上万的鱼类毒液中毒的医疗后果，而且还将探索一个基本上未经研究的资源，以发现新的药理学诊断和治疗方法。

The key aim of this study is to undertake a thorough investigation of venoms found in distinct fish lineages, including enigmatic species such as venomous and medically important species such as the stonefish. By characterising the biodiversity of toxins found in the venoms of different fish, the evolutionary history of venom in this major vertebrate lineage can be revealed. The investigations proposed here will also determine the functional activities of different venoms and their components. This will not only help the understanding of the medical consequences of the annual thousands of fish envenomings but also explore a largely unstudied resource for the discovery of new pharmacological diagnostics and therapeutics.