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The Venom from Lasiodora sp.: A Mygalomorph Brazilian Spider

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Spider Venoms

Part of the book series: Toxinology ((TOXI))

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Abstract

The genus Lasiodora (Koch 1850) belongs to the family Theraphosidae (suborder Mygalomorphae) and is found solely in Latin America. Of the 39 known species, 25 are endemic in Brazil, where they are commonly known as “caranguejeiras.” Despite their large size and fearful appearance, the bites of these spiders are not life-threatening for humans, and the clinical signs and symptoms presented by the victims of bites are of mild severity, with local pain, edema, and erythema. Research regarding toxinology has focused mainly on venoms from medically important animals. As such, Lasiodora venom has not been systematically studied. Nevertheless, even though the venom from Lasiodora spider is only mildly harmful to humans, it may have therapeutic potential. The toxicity of Lasiodora venom to vertebrates and invertebrates and its pharmacological activities, including its cardiovascular effects, have only occasionally been investigated. These studies were performed using the spiders Lasiodora spp., which are mainly native to southeast Brazil, and Lasiodora parahybana, which is mainly native to northeast Brazil. They demonstrate that Lasiodora venom is a promising study material, as it is rich in biomolecules that are active on vertebrate and invertebrate receptors that to date are uncharacterized.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Carolina Campolina Rebello Horta, Bárbara Bruna Ribeiro Oliveira-Mendes, Anderson Oliveira do Carmo, Flávia de Faria Siqueira & Evanguedes Kalapothakis

  2. Departamento de Biologia Geral, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Carolina Campolina Rebello Horta

  3. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana, Alexandroupoli, 68100, Greece

    Maria Chatzaki

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  1. Carolina Campolina Rebello Horta
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  2. Maria Chatzaki
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  3. Bárbara Bruna Ribeiro Oliveira-Mendes
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  4. Anderson Oliveira do Carmo
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  5. Flávia de Faria Siqueira
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  6. Evanguedes Kalapothakis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carolina Campolina Rebello Horta .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    P. Gopalakrishnakone

  2. Department of Molecular Medicine and Bio, National Autonomous University of Mexico The Biotechnology Institute, Cuernavaca, Mexico

    Gerardo A. Corzo

  3. Laboratory of Toxicology and Pharmacolog, University of Leuven Campus Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium

    Elia Diego-Garcia

  4. Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia Laboratório de Venenos e Toxinas Animais, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Maria Elena de Lima

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Horta, C.C.R., Chatzaki, M., Oliveira-Mendes, B.B.R., do Carmo, A.O., Siqueira, F.d.F., Kalapothakis, E. (2015). The Venom from Lasiodora sp.: A Mygalomorph Brazilian Spider. In: Gopalakrishnakone, P., Corzo, G., Diego-Garcia, E., de Lima, M. (eds) Spider Venoms. Toxinology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6646-4_16-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6646-4_16-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6646-4

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