In a collaboration with the research groups of Prof. Dr. W. Nentwig and Dr. L. Kuhn-Nentwig (University of Bern, Zoological Institute, Community Ecology) we employ mass spectrometric techniques (LC-MS, MALDI-TOF-MS, and high-resolution MS/MS) for the detailed characterization of compounds found in the venom of the spider Cupiennius salei.
Up to now, a considerable inventory of venom components could be identified. Among them are various families of peptides of either neurotoxic or antibacterial activity, some of them exhibiting the inhibitor cystine knot structural motif, which we could identify by tandem mass spectrometry.
Publications
O. F. Biner, C. Trachsel, A. I. Moser, L. Kopp, N. Langenegger, U. Kämpfer, C. von Ballmoos, W. Nentwig, S. Schürch, J. Schaller, L. G. Kuhn-Nentwig. Isolation, N-glycosylations and function of a hyraluronidase-like enzyme from the venom of the spider cupiennius salei. PLos ONE, 2015, 10. 10.1371/journal.pone.0143963
L. Kuhn-Nentwig, L. S. Kop, W. Nentwig, B. Haenni, K. Streitberger, S. Schürch, J. Schaller. Functional differentiation o spider hemocytes by light and trasmission electron microscopy, and MALDI-MS-imaging. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 2014, 43, 59-67. 10.1016/j.dci.2013.10.008
C. Trachsel, D. Siegemund, U. Kämpfer, L. Kopp, C. Bühr, J. Grossmann, C. Lüthi, M. Cunningham, W. Nentwig, L. Kuhn-Nentwig, S. Schürch, J. Schaller. Multicomponent venom of the spider Cupiennius salei: a bioanalytical investigation applying different strategies. FEBS J. 2012, 279, 2683-2694. 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2012.08650.x
C. Trachsel, C. Widmer, U. Kämpfer, C. Bühr, T. Baumann, L. Kuhn-Nentwig, S. Schürch, J. Schaller, U. Baumann. Structural and biochemical characterization of native and recombinant single insulin-like growth factor-binding domain protein (SIBD-1) from the Central American Hunting Spider Cupiennius salei (Ctenidae). Proteins: Struct., Funct., Bioinf. 2012, 80, 2323-2329. 10.1002/prot.24119
L. Kuhn-Nentwig, C. R. Largiadèr, K. Streitberger, S. Chandru, T. Baumann, U. Kämpfer, J. Schaller, S. Schürch, W. Nentwig. Purification, cDNA structure and biological significance of a single insulin-like growth factor-binding domain protein (SIBD-1) identified in the hemocytes of the spider Cupiennius salei. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 2011, 41, 891-901. 10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.08.003
T. Baumann, U. Kämpfer, S. Schürch, J. Schaller, C. R. Largiadèr, W. Nentwig, L. Kuhn-Nentwig. Ctenidins: antimicrobial glycine-rich peptides from the hemocytes of the spider Cupiennius salei. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 2010, 67, 2787-2798. 10.1007/s00018-010-0364-0