With summer already in full swing and some beaches reopening after closings due to the COVID-19 epidemic, many people flock to the ocean to cool off on hot days. However, a new study published in the Journal of Proteome Research warns of a huge jellyfish that lives in the coastal waters of China, Korea and Japan, whose toxins are lethal for some people.
It is the giant jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai (also known as Nomura’s jellyfish ) and can grow up to 2 meters in diameter and weigh up to 200 kilos. This giant jellyfish stings hundreds of thousands of people each year, causing severe pain, redness, swelling, and in some cases even shock or death.
In the new study, the scientists analyzed this incredible venom through genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic sequencing , uncovering an incredibly complex mix of more than 200 sting-related toxins, each of which could target specific organs or damage systems. bodily. Its venom is a hodgepodge of numerous toxins; some of them resemble the venom of snakes, spiders or bees.
“Although we tried to purify the lethal toxins from N. nomurai venom, it was exceedingly difficult to separate them from other proteins individually, ” the authors explain in their new paper.
Knowing more about these toxins could help us develop an antidote to the sting of this jellyfish.
Referencia: Comprehensive Proteome Reveals the Key Lethal Toxins in the Venom of Jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai. Rongfeng Li*, Huahua Yu, Tong Li, and Pengcheng Li. J. Proteome Res. 2020, 19, 6, 2491–2500 Publication Date:May 6, 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00277
