The weak acid environment of venom has important biological functions and scorpion predation and defense molecular strategies.

Recently, a team from the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of California, Davis, conducted a study that revealed that the weak acid environment of venom has important biological functions and strategies for scorpion predation and defense molecules, providing an important theoretical basis for clinical understanding and treatment of scorpion bruising, and providing a target for the development of analgesic drugs.
the study was published online by Science Advances under the title A bimodal activation under the title "Scorpion toxin-induced pain."
poisonous animals use their venom to arm themselves and efficiently complete biological behaviors such as predation, defense, and intersetrous competition.
, scorpion bruises cause unbearable severe pain and cause great pain to humans.
the molecular mechanisms that cause this intense pain have not yet been revealed, hampering clinical understanding and treatment of scorpion bruising.
In order to reveal the strategy of scorpion predation and defense molecules, recently, Researcher Lai Wei of Kunming Animal Institute and Associate Researcher Yang Shilong and a team led by Professor Zheng Wei of the University of California, Davis, worked together to reveal the molecular mechanisms behind the phenomenon of severe pain caused by scorpion stings.
Scorpion venom contains a neurotoxin peptide called BmP01, which activates the capsaicin receptacle TRPV1 and produces a rapid and intense pain response like tasting red peppers.
interestingly, unlike capsaicin, BmP01 activates TRPV1 receptors and relies on hydrogen ions present in scorpion venom.
like most venoms, scorpion venom is a weak acid substance of about pH6.5, which has biological value? The study found that BmP01 activates TRPV1 two to three orders of magnitude more efficiently than in neutral environments, inducing severe pain.
, if scorpion venom does not have this weak acidic environment, TRPV1 cannot be activated efficiently and pain is produced.
therefore, in the process of severe pain caused by scorpion bruising, there is this very low-cost but very efficient "molecular combination fist" mechanism based on hydrogen ions.
Yang Shilong, Professor Yang Fan of Zhejiang University, and Zhang Bei, Master's Student of Southern Medical University, are the co-authors of the article, and Zheng Wei and Lai Wei are the co-authors of the article.
research is supported by scientific research projects in the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province.
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